Keeper of the Lost Cities: Found
by Saphara
Summary: Five years ago Isabella lost everything in a fiery car crash, including her memories. After meeting a man with the same color eyes as her nightmares, everything changes. Now the cloaked figures that haunt her nights are coming, her family has turned against her, and everyone has a secret. Izzy will have to decide who she can trust, and if she's wrong, it just might be her life.
1. The Guy with the Teal Eyes

Isabelle sighed as she waited for the vaporetti. It was late, again, but that was the Italian Transit system. She took out her phone and glanced at the time, pulling out a few eyelashes in the process, her nervous habit.

She had twenty minutes till her first Uni class started, and there was no way she would make it. She glanced at the murky water, the houses around her shimmering from the light that seemed to fill each canal. Normally she stopped to enjoy the sight, peering beneath the waves for a glimpse of the houses below. Now all she could think of was how long it would take to swim to Piazza San Marco, and if she would need a tetnis shot, the answer was yes.

The bus slowly pulled up, and flashes of shutters could be heard from a tourist group on board. She quickly swiped her pass across the ticket machine before jumping into the boat.

When the boat finally docked on the edge of the Piazza, she ran her fingers through her shoulder length blonde hair. As she followed the stream of people off the boat, she frowned at her reflection in the canal. Her hair looked like she had been sucked into a tornado, not that she had any time to fix it.

Glancing up through the throngs of people and vendors, she could see her destination across the Piazza, Basilica di San Marco. She pulled her phone out, fumbling to turn it on. Five minutes.

The high columned walls around the Piazza seemed to close in, and she knew there was only one choice, make a run for it. She glanced at the ground which still had an inch of water from the heavy rain the night before. She pulled out a few eyelashes, making a silent wish that, for once in her life her clumsiness wouldn't get in the way. Then she took off.

As cold water splashed her ankles, soaking her socks to her feet, she weaved around people and stands. A few vendors yelled at her about jewelry and fish, and a few people she nearly ran into yelled a few choice words, but she didn't have time to stop.

Four minutes. She was a fourth of the way there. She had to duck as she nearly ran through the arms of vendor handing a woman her food. She yelled back sorry, but kept going, her eyes locked on her target.

Three minutes. She was half way there. She could still make it, she had to make it. She couldn't afford to be late again. She pushed her self forward, going as fast as her legs would let her.

Her phone cut through her concentration as it harshly buzzed at her. She waited until she had escaped the last line of the stands to check it.

Maria: "Where are you?! Class is about to start! Did you have those nightmares again? I'll stall, but it will only buy you a few minutes top."

She smiled, embracing the way her heart swelled. Maria always knew what to say, and she was the only one who actually took her night terrors seriously. Ever since the car crash that killed her parents and left her with amnesia, they plagued her every night. Maria was the only one she could talk about it to, her aunt just didn't understand.

She moved her thumb over the keyboard, but before she could respond a hard force sent her flying to the ground. Her head exploded with pain as it hit a marble stair at the bottom of the church. She grabbed it, wincing as she forced herself to sit up. Glancing over she saw a man pulled himself up, quickly grabbing papers that had scattered across the ground.

"I'm so sorry, that was my fault." She quickly picked up any paper in sight, hoping that none of them had gotten wet. She didn't try to read them, her aunt always chiding her for being nosy, but there was something odd about it. The "words" were just a bunch of letters mushed together in a random order. She stared at it for a second before he quickly pulled them out of her hands.

"I didn't mean to-, I'm sorry I ran into you," she stuttered. "Are you ok?"

He looked like he was going to speak, but when their eyes met he froze. Something crossed them, but it was hard to tell with how mushy they made her brain feel. Her heart did a weird flip and she was positive her face was bright red.

She had never seen eyes like his, except in her nightmares, then she constantly saw them. They seemed to be the only glimpse of hope through all of the fire, dark shadowy figures and sickeningly sweet smells that filled her sleep.

Even as everything moved around them, a few people actually pointing and whispering about them, it was like they were trapped in a bubble where time had frozen.

She shuffled uncomfortably under his constant gaze. There was something unbelievably familiar about him, but she couldn't know him, she would definitely remember meeting someone like him, or would she? She was missing all but five years worth of memories, so anything was possible.

She looked him over, attempting to act nonchalant about it. He was tall, probably around six feet, with dark hair and bright, breathtakingly beautiful teal eyes that glittered in the sunlight. He couldn't be more than a few years older than her.

His voice was quieter than a whisper, nearly lost in the buzz of the market, almost like he was scared she would hear him. "Sophie?"

Something felt… off. The name was too… familiar? She didn't know any Sophies though… Maybe it was the way he said it. She couldn't place his accent, it was similar to the British tourists she had met over the years, but different, crisper? She didn't know why but it tugged at her heart and forced a wave of sadness to crash over her, causing her eyes to water.

She opened her mouth to reply, until loud, melodic church bells cut her off. She was late, again. This was NOT good.

She forced herself to look away, hating how mushy his eyes made her brain feel. "S-sorry about your papers, I, have to go!" She pushed herself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in her head and her scraped knee. "Nice meeting you!" She quickly added before wishing she hadn't.

She quickly ran into the church, hating how sad he looked, how he stayed frozen like a statue. As bizarre as the confrontation was, she knew one thing, it wasn't nice meeting him. It was weird, very weird. There were no words that could match the whirlwind of emotions quietly swirling in her heart. It felt like someone had pushed her into the canal and she'd swallowed too much water. Glancing back as she ran into the door though, she knew one more thing, she hoped she would see him again.


	2. Maria to the Rescue!

Isabella tried to ignore the deafening squash of her sneakers on the marble floor of Basilica di San Marco. She kept her head down, forcing herself to ignore the gilded walls, ornately carved vaulted ceiling, and beautiful frescos that illuminated the altar. If there was a time to turn invisible, it was now.

A few heads turned toward her as she crept up towards the group. A slender, tall, olive skinned girl with tiny brown ringlets pinned up like a crown peered at her with sapphire blue eyes. She flashed Isabella a bright smile and waved her over before putting one finger to her lips, as if that could keep her from alerting the whole class.

It didn't.

Mr. Romano turned, a flash of his glasses like a gun spelling Isabella's inevitable doom. She tried to duck behind Maria, but it was too late. The small man made his way through the group, which parted instantly for him.

"Ms. Esposito," he squawked, "I thought our conversation last time would have been enough, but apparently not." He pushed up his glasses and motioned with one, rigid, outstretched finger towards the arched wooden doors she had come through. "Out. You have failed!"

It felt like her feet were frozen to the floor and all she could see was that finger. Her brain, however, was a whirlwind, repeating the words over and over. _You have failed. You have failed. Failed._ She tried to swallow but her throat felt like one of the statues.

If she failed, if she lost this class, she wouldn't be a full time student, which meant she couldn't afford college.

As she forced her mouth to open, feeling like she had eaten slugs, Maria stepped to her side, nudging her with an elbow to let her know she was there, then flipped her curly hair in Isabella's face.

"Actually sir," Maria smiled angelically while Isabella spat out hair, "She was in the bathroom, it was an emergency."

Mr. Romano glared at her like he was waiting for his ex-ray vision to kick in. "I highly doubt that." He slowly stated. Maria draped an arm around Isabella's shoulders, as if to show she was extra sure.

When the teacher remained silent, Maria gently reached her hand behind the back of a tall guy standing close by and gave a quick tug on his shirt. He glanced over, annoyed, but when his eyes met her sapphire ones, and she batted them for good measure, he started making googly eyes at her. Isabella sighed and mentally face palmed. He gave Maria a big, cheesy smile before quickly chiming in "It's true. I saw her go in."

Isabella put her arm around Maria's back, tugging at a strand of curly hair before it shot back up like a rubber band. When the teacher looked away, studying the guy, Maria blew a giant burst of wind in Isabella's face, smirking.

The teacher finally sighed, snapping back, "Fine Ms. Moretti, I will believe you, but next time Ms. Eposito," he threw her a glare, "you must check in with me _first_."

Isabella nodded her head, finally swallowing down the knot in her throat.

Mr. Romano turned on his heels and immediately began lecturing as if nothing had happened.

Isabella stepped away, unlocking her arm from Maria as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aren't you lucky to have me." Maria whispered, smirking, hand on hip.

"Yes, very." She smiled back, "Thank you." She hug attacked her, sending Maria a step back.

Maria patted her on the back before stepping away. "Your welcome, but I can't save your butt again, you heard what he said. We need a new plan Izzy."

Izzy pulled an eyelash out and flicked it away. "Yeah, I just don't know what. The nightmares, they're just getting worse…"

"Ew." Maria grabbed her arm away. "Stop that, your ruining your poor eyelashes! What if you want to use mascara, or, or-"

"I'm not."

Maria sighed, flipped her hair and nearly taking out a, luckily unlit, candle. "You really should look into makeup, or something! Your eighteen for pete's sake!"

Izzy rubbed her arm nervously, looked down as the distorted patches of sunken skin that covered her arms became visible from under her long sleeves.

Maria pulled her arm away again. "That shouldn't stop you Izz."

Izzy bit her lip and stared at the swirling patterns on the marble floor. When Maria kept holding her arm, as if she was waiting for an answer, she just shrugged, refusing to look up.

"Fine," She snapped, "But one of these days I'm getting you into a dress, mark my words!"

Izzy had a hard time holding back her smile.

As the bell rang through the air, signaling the hour, and the end of class, the group poured out onto the now dry Piazza. Izzy breathed in the familiar, salty ocean air mixed with spices and fresh fish. The sunbeams hitting her face felt like a warm blanket, and as they teamed up with the brain numbing, two hour lecture she had just endured, she suddenly felt like falling asleep on the spot. Maria grabbed her arm though, dragging her into the chaotic market and away from the warmth. The hum of people made her stumble, the two hours of sleep she managed to steal the night before not enough to sustain her. Her eyelids, which were falling down like lead weights were attached to them, blinked in concentration as the nagging feeling she was forgetting something settled into her gut. But what?

Then the teal eyes from earlier filled her brain and she skidded to a stop. Maria yelped slightly as she was suddenly ripped backwards. Pulling her arm free, Izzy turned around, taking a few steps toward the church in an attempt to line up the booths and people. Craning her neck as she stood on her toes, her heart seemed to beat faster, the thought of the man waiting for her forcing her cheeks to blush. She almost hated how she was acting, feeling very much like she had turned into one of those silly, boy crazed girls.

"What's wrong?" Maria's concerned voice said behind her, but she was too focused to answer back.

As she took the last step and the chaotic marketplace lined up perfectly, she saw it. Her heart skipping a beat, the white marble steps glistened in the sun like crystal finally came into perfect view. Empty. Barren. Only a few pigeons fighting over a French fry occupied the steps.

Izzy sighed and turned back, trying to ignore the hollow ache as her heart dropped to her stomach. What was she hoping for anyway? It's not like she would ever see him again, he was just some guy she had accidentally ran into, literally. She fingered her mother's bracelet, carefully tracing over the gold edges and jade green center. Fairy tales didn't exist, she knew that better than anyone.

She pulled a loose eyelash out before angrily flicking it to the ground, watching as it hit one of the few tiny pools of water left and sunk to the bottom.

Maria snapped her out of her thoughts as she grabbed her arm and spun her towards her, worry blanketing her sharp features. "Izzy."

Izzy stared at her for a second in surprise. Something about Maria was… off. She thought she saw fear in her eyes. Izzy quickly smiled back, not wanting to worry her. Maria had been through so much because of her, it was only natural she was worried. After how she'd acted after… She shook off the thought.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong. Sorry I was just lost in my thoughts." Maria didn't seem to buy it, but she didn't push the point; she didn't move though either.

"You know," Izzy started, "I, uh, saw a…um, really cute guy." Her body seemed to revolt as the phrase left her lips, but she knew Maria loved talking about boys and gossip. If she talked about the teal-eyed boy, then Maria would forget her troubles. Even if it made her feel all weird and mushy, like her intestines had turned into snakes, it was worth it for Maria.

 _She was her soul sister after all._

A smile slowly crept up her face. "A boy, is our little Izzy _finally_ interested in dating?" Her melodic laughter filled the air as Izzy froze.

She had no doubt her face was redder than the stand of tomatoes they stood next to.

"D-Date. H-hold on." Izzy's arms flapped through the air like she was trying to blow away the though. "I don't even know his name, much less-"

Maria grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd, laughing. "Come on, we're getting Gelato, my treat. And you're finishing that story. I want _every. last detail_!

Izzy bit her lip, her stomach was churning _way_ too much for gelato. Seeing Maria's immense excitement, she couldn't help but laugh and smile back. No matter how red her face got, how awkward it was, if it made her happy, it was worth it.


	3. The Girl with the Floppy Hat

"Maria," Izzy sighed as Maria sat down at the table with their Gelato. "I don't think this is a good idea. My aunt will _freak_."

She felt badly Maria had already bought the Gelato, but she hadn't been able to get a word in edge wise the whole trip! It was question after question after question, half of which she didn't even know how to answer. It was hard to tell through the ear-piercing squeals, but she was pretty sure Maria even asked her something about a wedding dress. _A wedding dress._ She was definitely regretting telling her about her new found crush.

Maria placed Izzy's watermelon Gelato in front of her and sat down, crossing her legs and looking like the picture of elegance. "Relax," she waved her hand before taking a giant bite. "It's just gelato, plus she loves me. You'll be fine."

Izzy stared at the gelato. It did look really, really delicious, her aunt did love Maria, and she _was_ hungry, having slept through breakfast and missed lunch in the mad dash for class. She nodded, sighing, "Fine, but just this once."

As she reached for her beautiful gelato, the dark pink ice crystals glistening in the light of the sun like tiny gemstones calling her name, Maria snatched it away, ripping it out of her reach.

She stared at her in shock before making a few wild grasps for it, but with the height difference, it was no use.

Maria shook her plastic pink spoon at her. "Story first." She then took another big bite of hers, as if to prove a point.

Izzy frowned, but agreed. She started to tell the story, but of course she had to start at the _very beginning_ , which meant what she wore that morning. Izzy told her to look up, motioning at her body, but Maria claimed the story had to be told right. She even interjected, changing her whole outfit. Now Izzy was running down the Piazza which sparkled in the sunlight, with a rainbow overhead, and flowers' scents filling the air, in a sundress, and high heels.

"Why the hell would I ever wear that?" Izzy sighed, taking a bite of the sweet, icy watermelon Maria had finally relinquished. "Plus, it was all muggy from the torrential downpour last night. There was water _everywhere_ , and no flowers."

"Tell the story right, or don't tell it at all!" Maria banged her fist on the table as if she was decreeing a new law.

"Ok." Izzy grabbed her gelato, holding the spoon in her mouth, and rose out of the seat. As she began to fake walk away Maria reached over and pulled her back into her seat by the collar of her shirt.

Looking over, one eyebrow raised, she found Maria was giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, fine. So I was wearing a dress…"

"A sundress, with pink flowers-"

"Yeah, that."

She recalled the rest of the story, this time without any interruptions besides her occasional bite of watermelon. That was until she mentioned his eyes…

"They were, teal?" Maria whispered, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Izzy nodded, taking another bite and savoring the sweetness as it melted away on her tongue.

"Are you, sure? Like, teal, or just blue-green?"

"No, teal, like teal teal. Well," She motioned with her spoon, "They were a bit lighter, a bit bluer, like that sea glass necklace I got last summer."

Maria suddenly looked worried.

"What, is that, bad?"

Maria laughed, smiling. "No, I've just never seen anything like that. It sounds too good to be true." She leaned closer, grinning evilly. "So what else? Don't tell me you _only_ remember his eyes."

Something about the way she said the last line made a shiver run up her spine. It was probably a good thing she would never see him again. "Umm, he had dark hair. Like, not quite brown not quite black."

She rose her eyebrows. "And?"

Izzy sighed, her eyes subconsciously sweeping the patio, like he would show up at any time and hear her.

"He was pretty tall, like, over six feet?"

"Seriously? That's it?"

Izzy stuffed gelato in her mouth as an excuse not to reply. Maria said something, but a giant icy storm quickly covered her brain.

"Brain freeze?"

"Yes." Izzy choked out in between coughs.

After it passed she added, swirling some of the liquid left on the bottom of the cup to hide her disappointment, "I only saw him for a second. It's not like I'll ever see him again."

Maria stood up, taking both of their empty cups and spoons. "Probably not, but at least your starting to get interested in boys!" She gave her a wink before walking to the garbage can.

Izzy tried to unravel her thoughts, to figure out why she was so stuck on this guy. In the past five years she hadn't been interested in anyone, and then he showed up. She hated what it did to her brain, like a thousand thoughts were swirling around at once in a giant, chaotic mess, and yet, it was nice…She blew a piece of hair out of her face, turning to watch the sunset.

A giant splash of red covered the sky, streaks of pink and yellow intermingling. It looked like it belonged in the Sistine Chapel, not in the temperamental sky where every second changed it further. She took it in for a few minutes, trying to imprint it on her brain before she realized Maria was taking oddly long. Looking over, she saw three guys circled around her. Rolling her eyes, and knowing she was probably drinking in the attention, she turned back. Within a minute or two of watching however, something caught her eye.

Two, bright teal eyes were staring at her from a table by the water, right under the sunset. Izzy's heart leapt then caught up for missed time, her stomach twisting in knots. She slowly stood up, but as she took the first step forward, she realized her mistake.

It was a woman, probably not much older than herself though she looked like a model. Even with the big floppy hat and newspaper covering most of her face, Izzy could tell she was gorgeous. Bright red lips, dark hair in perfect, glossy waves, even the dress she had on, which looked like it belonged in the eighties with its abnormally large geometric triangles, looked amazing on her, hugging every curve perfectly. Izzy's skin suddenly felt itchy, and her cloths seemed much too baggy and frumpy.

When their eyes met, the woman seemed to freeze, gasping and covering her mouth before jumping up and quickly walking away. Izzy began to follow after her, her quick stride rapidly turning into a run as she wove out around tables. People gave her weird looks, but she ignored them. There was something there. It couldn't be a coincidence, that teal. She yelled for the woman to wait, but it only spurred her to run.

She ran past a few street vendors and a performer, then down an alleyway. The woman was too quick though, and Izzy constantly found herself stuck in the dust. A swish of dark hair turned the corner, but within the few seconds it took to catch up, the woman was gone.

All that was left was a dirty, empty, brick alleyway. A gust of wind blew by, pulling up old flyers and newspaper from the ground. The only way out was into an open piazza, but when she ran into the light, the woman was nowhere to be found. Instead, a large, marble fountain gurgling, a few elderly people talking, and children running and laughing were the only occupants. She was gone. Izzy couldn't quite wrap her head around it, but somehow she had just, vanished. Biting her lip she turned around and began to walk back. Did she just, imagine it?


	4. Family First

Izzy sighed, fidgeting in her pockets for her key as she walked up the stoop of her small, two bed one bath brick house which sat smushed between others of its kind. She felt guilty for not telling Maria about the woman, but there was no way she could make it sound sane.

When the woman vanished into thin air, Izzy gave up and started walking back, only to find Maria running through the alley behind her, out of breath and clutching her side. She instantly swept Izzy into a bone crushing hug, then pushed her away and loudly chastised her for running off. When she wouldn't let it go, Izzy told her she chased after an old classmate who borrowed a book and never returned it. Maria was hesitant, but believed her all the same.

Something was definitely odd, she knew that for sure. She had never seen teal eyes like that before, and twice in one day? Plus, there was the fact that they seemed to know her… Whatever it was, she was determined to get to the bottom of it, alone. If just running off caused Maria so much stress, how would she react if she found out people were following her? She had always relied on Maria to come save her or to patch up her mistakes. That's the way their relationship had always been. Maria, strong and independent beating up bullies and being poor, frail, memoryless Izzy's shield. Well no more. She may have only been eighteen for a few months, but that still made her an adult, and it was time she acted like it.

Filled with a newfound determination, the crip evening air barely affected her. She bit her lip in thought, though she couldn't help but smile. She loved mysteries, and even though it was probably another mundane thing, it put magic into her life.

As her key slid into the lock, the door flew open, pulling her with it a few steps as she stumbled to regain her balance. She just managed to catch herself as her face came dangerously close to some pale green tiles.

A shadow crossed over her, and as she looked up she realized why. An aquamarine eyed, red haired woman with pointed features stood over her, anger apparent in her eyes. The fire of her newfound determination quickly disappeared, only one though crossing her mind.

 _I am so screwed._

"I told you to come home straight after school! Did you even listen to a word I said?!" A shrill voice echoed off the walls of the main room that served as their kitchen, living room, and dining room. What is lacked in size it made up for in character, strange plants and herbs hanging from the ceiling and mismatched furniture and dining room chairs giving the place a vibe somewhere between bohemian and eclectic.

Izzy hung her head in shame, staring at the wood grain of their small table as her aunt paced back and forth. She didn't think she did anything wrong. She was eighteen for pete's sake! It's not like she was out smoking pot or kissing guys, she was just eating gelato with her childhood best friend. What was so wrong with that?

"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Izzy shifted uncomfortably in the green wooden chair. "Sorry Aunt Cassy, I, didn't mean to make you upset."

She pinched the bridge of her nose as her feet came to a halt. Sighing a ragged, full body sigh, she closed the distance between them and knelt down, wrapping her arms around Izzy. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. You did nothing wrong, I just worry. After what happened…" She paused to collect herself and Izzy could hear her voice choking up. "Your parents entrusted you to me," She pulled away, gently turning Izzy's face, meeting her misty eyes. "I'm not about to let anything happen to you." She brushed a strand of hair out of Izzy's face and smiled at her warmly as a tear dripped down her face. "You're all I have."

Izzy tried to push back the flood that was burning her eyelids, but it wasn't possible. As the tears began to pour out, she wrapped her arms around her aunt, nestling her head into her neck. Her aunt returned the hug, and in it Izzy could feel her fear and desperation to protect her. She wanted to live her life, to finally break free, but if it meant hurting Aunt Cassy, it wasn't worth it. She soaked in the warmth, embracing the feeling of her heart swelling. She may not have much, they might not have much, but they had each other, and that's all that really mattered anyway.

After what felt like a lifetime, yet still not nearly long enough, Aunt Cassy pulled away, brushed the hair off of Izzy's forehead and kissing her. Smiling, she stood up and walking to the kitchen.

"You know," Izzy started, breaking the silence while Aunt Cassy put on oven mitts and pulled a stone tray out of the oven. "You can kiss me like always, you don't have to _just_ kiss me on the forehead."

"Oh, really?" Aunt Cassy smirked at her. "You're eighteen now, I would have thought you were too old for that. You _are_ an adult after all."

Izzy flushed. "Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean you're not my mom."

Aunt Cassy nearly dropped the stone.

"Sorry." Izzy mumbled.

"It's alright." She smiled, but it was strained.

She had told Izzy over and over not to refer to her as her mom, claiming the job was too important, to sacred, for her to take it. Plus, she always said, she already had a mom. _Had_ a mom. Her parents and she had been moving at the time, so most of their belongings were destroyed in the car fire that claimed their lives, but Aunt Cassy had managed to save one picture. She used to only let her see it when the nightmares were really bad, when she would wake up too frozen to move, too scared to scream. It became her charm, protecting her from the cloaked monsters that stole her dreams. When she turned sixteen however, Aunt Cassy decided she was old enough to take care of it, and now it sat safety under her pillow.

The picture showed the three of them. Her dad looking like a cross between batman and robin hood with bright blue eyes, chiseled features, and blond hair. Her mom stood next to him, a hand on her shoulder. She had an indescribable grace about her, amber hair in soft ringlets, and turquoise eyes. Izzy stood between them smiling, looking more beautiful and happy than she could ever imagine. The picture was slightly blurred from the water damage, especially on the bottom half where she stood, but it was all she had, besides her bracelet.

Part of her wanted to go get it from under her pillow right now, but she couldn't. She would end up staring at it for hours, like always, trying to memorize every detail and crease of their faces. Trying to fix the immense guilt she carried for forgetting them.

Dinner, consisted of a bunch of oddly colored, surprisingly tasty vegetables like always, her aunt being vegan. Tonight they tasted like extra cheesy peperoni pizza. Izzy would have gone back for seconds if her stomach hadn't been in knots from the chaos of the day. Aunt Cassy then kissed her goodnight and Izzy disappeared to her room.

That night was one of the worse yet. Black cloaked figures flitted in and out of her dreams, coming at her from all angles. They screamed at her, burned her. She was stuck, frozen to the spot, unable to move. Searing, blinding pain ripped through her arms. She tried to scream, tried to call for help, but it only made it worse. As her skin began to melt, she woke up screaming.

"DEX!"

Her aunt threw open the door, running to the bed and pulling her into a hug as Izzy swallowed mouthfuls of air. Unable to speak, she shook her head, needing space to breathe, to think. With the walls closing in her aunt's hug just added to her claustrophobia.

"You're ok now sweetie. It's ok." She cooed, gently moving messy, sweat soaked strands of hair off of Izzy's forehead. "It's ok. It's just a bad dream."

Izzy shook her head, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Tears began welling up before swiftly falling, leaving wet smudges on her comforter.

"When will they stop? It's been five years since the crash, so why-" Her shaky voice froze against her will, reluctant to leave her throat and escape into the harsh world.

Aunt Cassy covered Izzy's hand with her own, drawing small circles on it. "I don't know, but don't worry sweetie. You know what the nightmares really are, they can't hurt you." Izzy swallowed a big lump again, nodding.

"Do you want me to get some water for you?" Aunt Cassy asked as she stood up and motioned towards the door.

Izzy shook her head. "I'm fine now. Thanks. I just, I just need some time alone. I'm ok though." Part of her thought that, if she said it, it would become real, but as the words left her lips she realized how far from the truth it actually was. As her aunt smiled sadly at her and nodded, turning her back and walking out of the room, her heart twisted. When the door shut the darkness of the room began to form faces, threatening to swallow her up. But she had to be brave. She was an adult now after all, she couldn't keep running to others for help.

Suddenly it felt like the night she had come home from the hospital; fear clawing at her heart until she laid motionless in her bed sobbing, too afraid to make a sound. She fought it, trying to remind herself she was an adult, that she _had_ to be brave, but it didn't help. Wrapping herself in a cocoon of blanket and slipping the picture of her parents out from under her pillow, she finally felt better, though the tears didn't stop.

As sobs racketed her body, she stared at the picture. Her thumb gently caressed her parents faces as she furiously wiped the tears away with her other arm. Turning it over, she could see the remanence of her past life, a list of everything she had or remembered and what it stood for. It was heartbreakingly short.

Teal – Mom's favorite dress

Dex – Family dog

Bracelet – Mom's

Fire, Scars

Dark figures – Paramedics

She forced herself to reread it a few times even though she already had it memorized by heart. Everything that haunted her from her past life, everything that made her who she was, was on this list.

Even knowing what the nightmares came from though, it didn't do much to help. When the accident happened, she greatly injured her head so everything became dark figures screaming and shaking her had been the paramedics trying to bring her back, Dex was the family dog. He had been sitting in the backseat with her when it happened. And teal, teal was the color of her mother's favorite dress, the one she had been wearing when it happened. Even though she didn't have her memories, the trauma stayed behind. Her aunt told her she was in a coma for nearly three months afterwards. The only sign of the accident left were the marks on her arms.

She rubbed the rough, scaly skin, feeling nothing but the pressure.

Sighing, she tried to ignore the darkness, to pretend it wasn't there. She closed her eyes, the tears still slipping out, and waiting for the sun to come. It was hours away, but it was the only thing that could truly save her from the darkness. That, and the trickle of warmth she felt in the back of her head as she thought of the color teal.


	5. A Date?

The next week passed by without problem, except for the nightmares, but they were always there. She came home every day after school, just like her aunt had told her to. As a compromise, Maria spent a lot more time at her house, the two hanging out and giggling until the sun began to dip below the horizon.

It wasn't till Thursday that things began to change.

Izzy sped through the main quad, sprinting to reach her history class on time. She was running late, _again_. Slipping her phone out of her pocket and fumbling to click it on, she stared at the clock for a split second before shoving it back into her pocket. She had eight minutes.

 _She could do this._

By the time she flung the door open she was wheezing and gasping for breath, sounding more like a dying animal than a human.

Her teacher stood behind the podium at the bottom of the lecture hall, wooden bench after wooden bench lining a stadium style half circle.

"You're late." Mr. Romano snapped.

"Actually," Maria immediately stood up, hand on hip, holding an arm up as if to show off her watch. "She still has thirty seconds."

Izzy stood there for a second, looking back and forth while wiping the sweat off of her brow. Mr. Romano grumpily nodded and began walking to his computer. When his finger grazed the mouse pad, the projected image of some Venetian Renaissance building sprung to life, covering most of the back wall with its high arches, and carved stone.

Maria gave her a frantic, _come on_ look as she motioned her hand in a giant circle.

"Fifteen seconds Ms. Eposito. I expect you to be _in your seat_."

Realization hitting her foggy brain, Izzy took off down the steps. She was regretting not letting Maria choose the seats at the beginning of the semester, having to run down step after step until she hit the fifth row from the bottom. Mr. Romano pulled his sleeve back, click clicking his watch with a finger nail.

"Five."

Izzy jumped over a row as the two occupants ducked to either side, gasps of surprise leaving their mouths. She had seen the move many times in Assassin's Creed, and since now was time to either go big or go home, literally, she might as well imitate an assassin.

"Four."

"Three."

She used the momentum to slide over the next row, accidentally taking down a few notebooks and textbooks with her. Luckily, she was friends with the row. One guy boisterously laughed, turned towards her as he watched the action while the girl squeaked in surprise, but when she started to lose momentum at the count of two, he gave her a push.

As "one" began to leave Mr. Romano's mouth, her shoelace caught on something and she was sent crashing over, her head inches from hitting the hard concrete floor as her feet dangled over the back of the bench.

A whoops came from the row behind her.

"Zero. I'm afraid you are not in your seat, therefore, you are late."

Izzy didn't have time to take it in, Maria giving a frustrated sigh that sounded more like a growl than anything else. As she stood up, Izzy was pretty sure she heard her mutter _hard ass_.

"Didn't you once define sitting as" Maria started, clearing her throat in a professional manner, "planting your butt in a chair? Well," She waved a hand over Izzy who was failing like a turtle stuck on it's shell, "Her butt is definitely planted in the chair" Izzy stopped flailing and nervously grinned at the teacher. "I think everyone can agree with that." Laughter started to run through the classroom.

Mr. Romano shot her a dirty look, grumbling to himself. Maria grabbed Izzy's hand and yanked her up. She groaned slightly, no doubt in her mind that she would have bruises the next day. The teacher didn't seem to argue, just spewing out random words of his lecture like always. Izzy gave a full body sigh of relief. That had been way, waaay too close. She didn't like being late. In fact, she hated it beyond measure, but she couldn't fight the nightmares. They had full control over her, and she was always left floating in the darkness. Izzy ran a shaky hand through her messy hair, trying to ignore the way her scars slightly shone in the light. It was too hot to wear long sleeves, and she was too tired to really think of the consequences when she threw on her favorite shirt…

"Did you even _brush_ your hair?" Maria gawked whispering.

"No time." Izzy whispered back, biting her lip as she stared at her bare arms.

Rolling her eyes, Maria took a brush out of her backpack and began unknotting Izzy's hair. "What am I going to do with you." She complained, though Izzy could hear the kindness and warmth in her words. As the brush flew through her hair, it felt like they were kids again. Maria was always taking care of her…

Mr. Romano threw them a glare, though Maria just ignored it, or she was too busy focusing on Izzy's hair to notice… Izzy couldn't help the wide grin that parted her lips.

She saw Maria glancing at her golden shirt before whispering "I'm glad you wore the shirt I got you. It really brings out the gold flecks in your eyes."

Izzy was too distracted to fully hear the compliment though, because as her smile faded off of her lips, replaced by a look of pure shock, she realized she had missed a substantial detail in the chaos.

A flimsy, metal chair sat on the edge of the room, not quite facing the teacher or the class, but somewhere in between. Yet the figure who occupied it was definitely facing one direction, hers. Two, bright, sea glass teal eyes shone at her, and she could feel the blush attacking her face as she froze.

"M-maria." She whispered, no reaction. "Maria. Maria!" She whisper yelled the last one, elbowing her in the side.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

Izzy pried her eyes away from his and stared at her, trying, and failing to ignore the impromptu rave her heart's was throwing, the quick boom boom booms echoing all the way up to her brain. She motioned with her eyes, careful not to catch his. If she did her heart would probably explode. Maria followed her gaze, her eyes widening beyond what should be possible when she saw him. They seemed to lock eyes for a moment, and Izzy watched as something passed between them.

Did they, know each other?

"You know him?" She tried to nonchalantly ask as her heart began twisting into a pretzel. She hated the feeling, but she had to know. Though if they did know each other in that way… She didn't want to think about it, but she would of course choose Maria. She mentally cursed at herself for being an idiot. She didn't even know him. He was probably a jerk anyway. All of the cute guys she met always were.

"No." Maria snapped after a while. Her voice was bitter, and an icy expression passed over her face. "No. I don't know him."

 _She definitely knew him._

Maria went back to brushing Izzy's hair, though it was a bit more aggressive than before. After the fourth "ouch!" she began to calm down. Izzy saw her occasionally glaring at the teal-eyed man, but besides that everything was normal, thought Izzy's heart kept twisting.

Izzy spent the rest of the class trying to concentrate, failing, and occasionally glancing at the man. Every time their eyes met. Was he, watching her? It sure seemed like it, though if he knew Maria that was probably the real reason. Part of her still wanted to believe it was her though. Every time their eyes locked he smiled a movie star worthy grin, and the way he looked at her, it almost seemed like a silent conversation. He seemed to have a way of making her feel like she was the only one there.

Maria, who was putting little braids into Izzy's hair, noticed and gave a sharp tug on one. Izzy yelped and gave her a look, but she just acted like it was a simple accident, like Izzy had moved suddenly. Izzy tried to ignore his gaze after that, but it was hard. It made her feel like butterflies were fluttering around in her chest, and she loved it. But if it hurt Maria, it wasn't worth it.

When the class began to empty out, Maria tried to pull her away as quickly as possible. Like always though, it took Izzy a while to pack everything up. Maria began grabbing things and throwing them into her backpack, leaving it a chaotic mess. She then grabbed Izzy by the wrist, yanking her too hard and pulling her from the class room. Izzy struggled to keep up, but Maria was taller, her legs longer, which meant Izzy was dragged up the steps. Maria was completely off, though Izzy didn't know why. If she had had a boyfriend, Izzy definitely would have known, so why did she seem to hate him? They definitely weren't related… Maybe, it was before her memories started? Either way, she had to yell at Maria to loosen her grip. Maria instantly let go, leaving Izzy to gingerly rub her wrist. Once again, another bruise she would have the next day.

As they walked out of the doorway which was now propped open, he was there waiting. Leaning nonchalantly against the wall, he didn't seem real, like a picture someone had painted. Izzy's heart fluttered at the sight. Then he glanced over and flashed a bright smile which _definitely_ didn't help. He stood up and began walking over to them, but Maria grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the door. She glanced back, but his face was frozen like stone.

He easily sped up, cutting them off. "H-Hey, umm, Isabella right? "He ran a hand through his perfect hair as he spoke. He seemed, embarrassed, nervous? That, couldn't be possible, right? "Sorry about earlier. I was wondering, if I could make it up to you?" He smiled at the end, though it seemed to falter.

Wait, was he asking her _on a date?!_

Izzy froze, having no doubt her face was tomato red. Her brain started to swirl with loud thoughts. She wished she had done her hair, or maybe put on lip gloss? What would someone even do in a situation like this?! She mentally screamed.

"Umm," he started when she didn't reply "Would you like to go get some, uh, coffee? My treat."

A wide smile covered Izzy's face. This couldn't be happening, right? That was definitely a date, right? "S-sure! I'd um, I'd l-love too!" She tried to suppress the overwhelming amounts of energy building up in her chest. Then, she saw a slight swish of curly hair from the corner of her eyes, and her smile dropped.

"I-is that ok with you Maria?"

Maria glared daggers at him before giving the fakest smile she had ever seen. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

The man seemed to stare at her for a second like she disgusted him, a look of pure rage flying across his features, but then he turned back to Izzy, a normal, genuine smile lighting up his face. "Would now be ok?"

"Umm," she started. Maria definitely didn't seem ok with it, but something told her she wasn't going to spill, which was odd. She had to find out some way, right? And she was _going_ to find out. The only other option would be pestering an already upset Maria until she snapped. This was definitely the better of the two. Plus, this seemed like a once in a lifetime chance… She had wanted to see him again, wanted a chance to get to know him. This was it. And if she declined now, she would lose it and never see him again. Then there was something about the way he looked at her that told her she could trust him. Something was strangely familiar about his eyes…

She smiled. "Sure, that would be great."

"I'll see you later then." Maria snapped. "Text me when you're done."

Izzy nodded, slightly taken aback as she watched Maria turn and walk away, her hair bouncing behind her. Had she made the wrong decision? Maria was pretty outspoken though, she would have said something, right?

 _Maybe not._

"So," a crisp accent cut through her thoughts. "I know of a great place, it's only a block away."

She smiled up at him, deciding to ignore the whirlwind of thoughts. She would figure it all out when they got there. "Sounds great."

He smiled to himself and started to walk forward. "My name is Fitz by the way."

She had completely forgotten to ask his name…

"Fitz, that's a pretty unusual name. Is it short for anything?"

He got to the door first and held it open for her. "No, just Fitz."

She smiled as the warm sunbeams hit her face. Something about this felt… right, like it was meant to be all along. Her gut told her to trust him, and she had ever intention to, after she figured out how he knew Maria.

He took a few large steps forward before pacing himself. Izzy tried to hide her blush as they walked down the brick walkway together. Some girls along the way sent googly eyes at him, but he never seemed to notice. He showed her the way as they chatted about random things. Once she pushed past her nervousness, it was surprisingly easy to talk to him, like they had known each other forever.

"It's right over there." He pointed across a waterway to a small, quaint café.

She smiled at the water, watching their reflections as they crossed the bridge.

"I think you'll like this place. They have some great pastries. Have you ever heard of Mallowmelt?"

She shook her head.

"It's the best thing ever. You're going to love it."

She watched the excitement twinkling in his eyes and smiled. She had no doubt she would.


	6. Titanic, Meet Iceberg

Izzy sat in the café, watching as two eyelashes floated onto the table like feathers before she blew a small burst of wind, sweeping them away. Something about this store gave her the creeps. It was a beautiful café, and the view of the canal was spectacular, but ever since they sat down and Fitz ordered Mallowmelt, the wait staff seemed… odd. The few waiters and waitresses who worked at the café began staring at her like she had grown a second head. They never came near her, or even smiled, but when she met their gaze they would quickly turn away and whisper amongst themselves. If that wasn't weird enough, when a waitress came in, putting on her apron for what Izzy could only assume was the start of her shift, two others quickly ran over and began whispering to her. She listened in, hoping for some clue as to their odd reactions, but all she could make out was the waitresses name, Sophie. Odd, wasn't that the same name Fitz had accidentally called her earlier?

She glanced at the woman, her long rust brown hair falling past her shoulders, and dark blue eyes shining in contrast to her abnormally pale skin. They definitely didn't look alike, though it was probably a different Sophie, after all that name was extremely common. She didn't have much time to contemplate it though, because whatever the two had said to Sophie caused her to violently twirl around and stare. When their eyes met, she dropped the plate she had been holding and gasped.

As it shattered across the ground, her melodic voice chocked out"It's- could it really be- Her eyes-" She gasped. The whole room seemed to freeze, though it could have just been the embarrassment that made Izzy want to hide in a hole, or a rather dark corner. The waiter and waitress who had been talking to Sophie grabbed her and pulled her through the back door marked with large, bold white letters stating staff only. Not even a glance was given in Izzy's direction, let alone an explanation.

 _What did she mean 'could it be?'_ She frowned, pulling another loose eyelash out and flicking it to the ground. _It's not like I can help having brown eyes either…_ She sighed, glancing at the people walking by the canal for a distraction. Where was Fitz anyway? He'd disappeared behind the back door nearly five minutes ago. She glanced at her phone, yep, five minutes. She'd give him three more before she left.

As her finger grazed the off button, an icon on her home screen tugged at her heart, a friendly, familiar smiling face, so alien to this strange café. Maria.

She clicked on it and let her thumb flitter across the keyboard. She had to talk to her, had to make sure things were ok.

Izzy: "Maria, are we ok?"

After rewriting it for the sixth time, she sat back and sighed. There was so much more she wanted to write, so much more she wanted to ask, but it didn't seem like the time, even if she could put it into words.

Not even three seconds passed before Maria's reply came back.

Maria: "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

Izzy bit her lip. She wasn't going to tell the truth was she?

Izzy: "Why don't you like Fitz? Was he a jerk to you or something? Did you guys go out?"

She subconsciously rubbed her scars as she tried to swallow down her heart. It was better just to ask. She needed to know the truth. It's not like she really knew him yet anyway, and the way this "date" was going so far, she might not ever. He had to actually be present for it to be successful.

It was nearly a minute of the dreaded three dots before Maria responded.

Maria: "No, I don't know him. He just seems too smooth, he's probably a player. I just don't want you to get hurt, you're my soul sister after all."

Izzy reread the message nearly five times, smiling. Good, so there was nothing wrong, everything was ok. She was just overthinking it. Of course she was. Her heart twisted slightly as the thought of him being a player, but it just didn't seem to fit. He was too nice, though she didn't know him. Could that be why they were looking at her so strangely? Maybe Sophie was his ex? She sighed, biting her lip. She hoped not. Either way, she would find out soon…

She reread the message two more times, trying to think of a way to respond.

"Sorry." Fitz's deep voice sounded from above, snapping her out of her thought. She quickly shoved her phone back in her pocket and looked up. "I hope you didn't wait too long. I wanted to make sure they were perfect since it's you're first time trying them." His blinding smile made her heart do cartwheels.

"Thanks." She smiled, covering her cheeks with a few strands of hair in an attempt to hide the blush. She glanced at the plate Fitz set in front of her. It was covered with a messy glop of, was it cake? It looked pretty strange, and even though she was pretty used to strange, gloppy food, she definitely didn't expect it in a higher end café, or really anywhere but at home. Maybe that's why it was so empty in here?

"It's better than it looks." He laughed slightly before glancing at the back door and running a hand through his hair a few times.

"I'm sure it is." She smiled, though it was slightly empty, her brain elsewhere. A waiter had opened the back door and she could barely hear the voices floating on the wind before the door slammed shut again. For some reason it seemed chaotic, a few panicked voices echoing in her mind even after they had disappeared. She stared at the Mallowmelt for a second, trying to work out a way to bring up Sophie. It was still bugging her. She acted like she knew her, in fact they _all_ acted like they knew her…

"Is something wrong?" A bit too much concern filled his eyes, his brow furrowing.

She shifted in her seat, reaching for an itchy eyelash. "Well, that one waitress, Sophie, she seemed to know me. But, I'm not sure how."

For a second his face contorted slightly, but it disappeared so quickly Izzy was left wondering if she had just imagined it. "Umm, Sophie?" His voice caught on the name. "I don't think there's anyone here named Sophie…"

She bit her lip and glanced at the back door, her mind jumping to conclusions. She pushed it back, forcing the whirlwind into a dark corner of her brain where she could deal with it later. Her aunt was always lecturing her on being too curious, but it was too late to listen this time. Plus, this had to do with her too, right?

"I heard two of the waitstaff call the one waitress Sophie." When he didn't answer she quickly added, "She had long, reddish-brown hair, and dark blue eyes." She decided not to mention skinny, tall, gorgeous, looks like a model… hates brown eyes.

He glanced back at door before meeting her eyes and smiling, which took her off guard, even though it was rigid and tight.

"Oh yeah, that Sophie." He nonchalantly said as he leaned back in his chair, acting almost normal. "Sorry, the staff changes here a lot, it can be hard to keep track of names. I, think she said she knew your parents? She may have said she was a neighbor, I missed most of the conversation though." He shrugged nonchalantly, but his eyes seemed sharp, like he was trying to stare into her thoughts. Her heart did a flip, but not in a good way. It felt like she had eaten green slime with nails in it. She tugged at a loose eyelash and tried to pretend like it was no big deal.

"Oh, umm. Maybe? I, don't know…" She nervously rubbed her scars under the table, not wanting him to see them, not wanting anyone to see them. She really didn't need another reminder of her past, she was only just starting to pick up the pieces, though part of her wanted to run towards the woman, to beg her for every memory she possessed so she could relive them over and over until she somehow sunk back into that life. But that wasn't possible… They were gone.

"Isabelle? Did something happen?" A warm whisper slowly filled the air. She glanced at his eyes. Something told her he already knew…

She pulled out two itchy eyelashes and flicked them to the ground, refusing to look him in the eye as she braced herself. She didn't want to see the way he would react, the way they _always_ reacted. Pity, suffocating, overwhelming amounts of pity. "Yeah, they died."

Her voice fell on the table like a block of ice that no one quite knew what to do with. She felt, unconnected to the sentence, like it had no effect on her, which of course brought back her guilt. She quickly took a large bite of Mallowmelt so she wouldn't have to talk, so that she couldn't ruin this would be date any more than she already had.

 _What am I thinking. If this was the titanic, I just introduced it to the iceberg..._

There was no way to recover. On the brightside, the Mallowmelt was waaaay better than it looked. It melted in her mouth and tasted like ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch, frosting, and marshmallows all mixed together in a beautifully gooey mess. It was by far _the best_ _thing_ she had ever had before in her life! It made her feel better, the warm, fluffiness replacing the icy sludge in her stomach like she had swallowed a tiny sun. She was so focused on it in fact that almost missed Fitz's reply.

"I'm sorry… That must have been… hard. If you don't mind me asking, how did it happened?"

She was going to take her time at first, to savor the mouthful as long as she wanted to avoid responding, but when he began speaking, his features distorted in a familiar way. She had seen the same look many times before, in the mirror. She was probably insane for telling a complete stranger her life story, but he might be one of the few people who actually understood her.

She swallowed the remnants of the gooey sweetness and fought the urge to pull out an eyelash. "I, um, car accident." She said quickly. "I don't have any memories from it though, so don't worry." Yep, this date was in a point of no return. She mentally face palmed as she went back to tracing the sharp edges of her marred arms.

The sound of the back door creaking slightly filled the air, but by the time she looked all she saw was a waiter's back disappearing behind it and Fitz nodding slightly.

He quickly turned back towards her, leaning forward and looking into her eyes. She tried to ignore how impossibly beautiful his eyes were, how much closer his face was to hers. Suddenly she felt like she had come across The Twilight Zone, because this definitely couldn't be happening, at least not to her.

"So," He started, "who do you live with then?"

"My aunt." She choked out before taking a small bite of Mallowmelt to distract herself. She savored the sweetness that somehow managed to make this conversation less awkward, and her brain a bit less mushy.

"That's good you get to stay with family. I guess you're close to your cousins then?"

"Uh," She spoke through a bite, letting the last bit melt before swallowing. "I don't have any cousins, it's just us. How about you?"

He nodded his head before leaning back in his chair and running his hand through his hair. "Not particularly. How about Maria? How did you meet her?"

Now that there was some distance between them, she could finally breathe. She took in a cool breath of air which helped calm her burning face, even if only a bit. "Umm, she's my childhood best friend, why?"

"No reason."

"So, how did you meet Maria?" Izzy asked as she tugged on a loose eyelash. Something was definitely off, but it wasn't just because he was asking about Maria. He seemed, rushed, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was trying too hard to act normal.

She glanced around the café, following his eyes as he scanned the place. It was empty. Even the wait staff was gone. That was really weird. She bit her lip and watched as people walked back and forth past the windows and glass door. This was one of the busiest streets in Venice, and the food was amazing, so why was it so empty?

He shrugged, glancing at the back door again and running a hand through his hair a few times. "Umm, I don't remember."

She kept her gaze on him in an attempt to force him to give her a better answer. Not only did it seem like he was lying, but his voice was getting faster and faster with each question. What was going on?

"Mutual friend maybe?" he sighed, running a hand through his hair again. What was with that? "So, do you have any other family staying here?"

"Umm…" She pulled her phone out under the table, clicking it on and drawing a familiar pattern as it happily unlocked for her.

"Well, I have two uncles, but the one is usually away for business." She glanced down at her phone. "How about you?"

She pressed her thumb to the glass and pulled the screen down slightly until she found what she was looking for.

"No, I don't know him." Maria's text read.

She frowned, shoving her phone back in her pocket and running her fingers along her scars as she met his eyes. Something wasn't adding up. Plus, this did _not_ feel like a date. It felt like an interrogation.

"So do you get to see your uncles often?" Fitz smiled as he responded, skipping her previous question.

"Umm, no. He's usually busy as well… So, I guess you don't get to see your uncles often either then?" Why was he shooting down everything she asked?

"Umm, a normal amount I guess."

She forced a frustrated sigh back as she gazed at the shimmering water, sparkles of refracted light dancing on the stone pathways. Why did he even ask her here? So far it was just question after question. She refused to respond first, but after a moment or two of silence, she glanced up. Following his gaze, she realized why.

She was rubbing her scars pretty quickly now due to the stress, but when she realized he was staring at them she instantly stopped. She crossed her arms over her stomach in an attempt to hide them, but it was too late. She could see his face, twisted in disgust, and it felt like a punch to the gut.

"How did you, get those-" he began to whisper, though his voice seemed more like a growl.

Izzy stood up, pushing her scars against her sides. "Did you just ask me to come here so you could interrogate me about my life?" She snapped, cutting him off.

Fitz shifted awkwardly in his seat. He seemed a bit stunned "Um, well what do you want to talk about?"

"Not any of this." She grabbed a napkin and wrapped up the remainder of her Mallowmelt. It was too good to throw out, and she would definitely need it after this.

"Thank you for the food, it was delicious. See you later." She quickly said, sounding more like a robot in auto drive as stuffed it in her pocket and began to turn around.

Something pulled her back, looking down she saw his hand on her arm, his fingers wrapped around the crunchy, sunken edges of her scars. All she felt was pressure, but it still sent chills up her spine. Not even Maria was allowed to touch her scars.

"Wait, not yet. I-I um, if you could just wait a few more minutes, I-um." he stuttered desperately.

"No thanks." she snapped as she ripped her arm out of his grip, her heart pounding in her ears. She had to get out of here. She practically ran out of the café, ignoring his voice pleading her to stop. She turned a few corners, wishing the shadows the evening sun cast would swallow her up, hide her from the people who walked by. Once she felt safe, she redirected her path to the nearest vaporetti. While she waited for it to come she rubbed the place he had touched her scars. The image of his face twisted in disgust was still frozen in her brain like a giant picture someone had slapped on the inside of her eyelids. No amount of thinking or attempting to push it away worked, so as she finally boarded the vaporetti, she let her hair fall in her face like a curtain as big, fat, hot tears began rolling down her cheeks. This day couldn't get any worse.


	7. The Shadows on the Wall

Izzy sighed as she walked into her apartment, kicking her shoes off and listening to the dull thud as they hit the titled foyer. She peeked in slightly, not eager to incur the wrath of Aunt Cassy, but it was empty. In fact, all of the lights were off, which was incredibly unusual. Figuring she must have hit a burst of inspiration with her art, and _she_ had hit a lucky break, Izzy dragged herself through the main room, throwing a longful glance at the fridge before stumbling into her bedroom. She threw herself onto her bed with a thud, pulling her phone out of her pocket and sleepily texting Maria.

Izzy: "The date didn't go well. I'll tell you all about it later, but right now I'm going to take a nap. I'm _really_ exhausted. I'll text you later."

She shoved the phone back in her pocket as sleep began to overtake her. Her nightmares were surprisingly absent, exhaustion keeping them at bay. Instead she drifted in and out of darkness for hours, watching the setting sun from her bedroom window as it quickly disappeared, replaced by glittering stars sprinkled across a dark sky and a bright, ethereal moon. Eventually, as she drifted back to sleep, a black cloaked figure came for her once again, running at her, screaming, reaching out their hands. Izzy knew a deadly grip and searing pain were waiting for her, but it was useless to scream, useless to run, just like always.

When the hands grabbed her however, they didn't burn. Instead it felt like an earthquake had hit her as the silhouette shook her violently back and forth, screaming her name. Izzy tried to pull herself out of their grip, but when they ripped her out of bed, she quickly realized it wasn't a dream. It was real.

As she stumbled through the darkness, pulled towards her bedroom door against her will, she grabbed onto her bed frame with all her might, her knuckles turning white from the strain and her arm burning in protest. The cloaked figure released her, and Izzy was sent flying backwards.

She tried to ignore the pain blooming in the back of her head as she quickly scanned the room for some sort of weapon, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she abandoned her search.

The figure had spun around, their cloak billowing around them. Long, red, frizzy hair shone like a lighthouse through the darkness, cascading around a sharp, pointed face.

"Aunt Cassy." She choked out, "Wh-whats going on? Why-"

"There's no time." She snapped. "We need to go, NOW!" She grabbed Izzy's arm again, pulling her up from the ground as she attempted to drag her forward.

"Go where?" Izzy called to the darkness, the red strands having vanished under the black cloth, but the only response she got was a tug on her arm as she was pulled closer to the door. She had never seen her aunt so scared, so frantic. Something bad was happening, but what? She dug her heels into the carpet.

"Izzy." she hissed. "There is no time for this."

.

A-at least let me get the picture." She pleaded, the thought of losing it twisting her heart. A feeling in the pit of her stomach told her they weren't coming back, and if that was true, she was _not_ leaving without it. "If you let me get the picture, I'll even run!"

A quick, ragged sigh and her aunt released Izzy's arm again, motioning sharply towards her bed. "Go, but hurry! We haven't got much time!"

She sprinted onto her bed, throwing her pillow away and gently clutching the picture, savoring the warmth that trickled from it, wishing she could jump into it and not have to face the chaos that was unfolding.

Fear and adrenaline were coursing through her body, blurring her brain past that which sleep already had. She glanced back at her aunt, watched her as she stared intently out the window. What was going on?

Aunt Cassy quickly turned, lunging forward and grabbing Izzy's arm, cutting off her thoughts.

"I said hurry!" She snapped as she began yanking her through the door. Her spindly finger clutched Izzy's wrist with a force she didn't think possible, but she said nothing. As the seriousness of the situation was realized through that grip, her voice refused to speak.

The lights in the house were still off, but the street lights outside provided enough light to navigate, though the dim light cast large, grotesque shadows on the walls. Suddenly Izzy felt like she was thirteen again, hiding under the covers as shadows and nightmare figures merged together. Izzy took a deep breath and focused on running as she swerved to avoid side tables and chair legs while they raced through the main room. A glint of light floated in the front windows, lighting up Aunt Cassy as she ran past.

Aunt Cassy's midnight black cloak had an odd, surprisingly bright symbol on the side, it's pure white color making it somehow seem more eerie. She had seen it before of course, her uncles occasionally showing up in the middle of the night, the symbol attached to their sleeves, but something about the darkness surrounding them just made it seem much more sinister, like it was staring at her, watching her.

It was a white eye with a circle around it.

Aunt Cassy came to a halt, Izzy running into her back with a thud before crashing onto the ground.

"Get up." Aunt Cassy stated coldly as the click of the deadbolt was heard.

Izzy used the shoe rack as support to lift herself up, but when she reached for her own shoes, her aunt ripped her away and out the door.

"Bu-but, shoes!"

"You won't need them." She snapped before adding, "No time."

Izzy was pulled down the porch steps and out into the chilly, crisp sea air. It nipped as her arms, and her feet froze against the cold, damp stone of the street.

Suddenly her aunt stopped, sending Izzy crashing into her once again. She could feel the cold sweat on her back as she took a step back. She leaned over, peering around her aunt's tall frame.

Three black cloaked figures had stepped out from the darkness. Aunt Cassy pulled her hood back, her fiery hair falling across her shoulders. Her face looked like stone, determination etched across it.

"It's time Cassandra." The middle figure announced as he took another step forward and removed his hood. Cold blue eyes and blonde hair were visible in the wrought iron street light he stood under. He glanced at Izzy, extending a hand, his crescent moon scar shining silver under the pitch dark night sky.

"Uncle Gethen, what's going on?" Izzy tried to pull her arm out of the death grip, but to no avail.

Something about this seemed incredibly sinister, incredibly unreal, but she was safe right? They were her family, her blood. They would never hurt her. So why did it feel like she had reached a new level of nightmares, like she had never woken up?

She glanced at her aunt's face, which was as icy and hard as Uncle Gethen's eyes. Her instincts told her it was not only incredibly real, but impossibly dangerous, urging her to run as quickly as possible. She pinched her arm a few times, begging her body to wake up.

 _This can't be real._


	8. Everything Changes

"Aunt Cassy?" Her whisper quietly, uncertainly floated on the wind, threatening to be blown away before it reached their ears.

Aunt Cassy didn't give any sign of acknowledgement, just continued to lock eyes with Uncle Gethen.

Izzy opened her mouth to speak again, but her aunt suddenly yanked her painfully forward, leaving her stumbling across the rough stones towards her sinister looking uncle.

She caught herself a little less than half way, stopping as the shadowy figures stared at her, the white eyes on their sleeves glinting in the darkness. Gethen's smile sent chills down her back, making her want to run away and hide. Who was this man, what happened to her fun uncle, the one who took her on adventures and bought her ice cream and video games? He took a step forward, reaching for her, but she was too scared to run, to confused to move.

A giant wave of ice burst from the ground like a tidal wave, deadly ice spikes rising from the crest, missing Izzy by less than an inch. Gethen was sent crashing into a wall with a sickening crunch. The cloaked figure on the right flew across the road and into the shadows. A distinctive plunk was heard from his direction as he hit the nearby waterway. The only shadow left stood in a fighting position, facing the now vacant spots, a fist raised in the air.

She couldn't have seen that, right? That just, wasn't possible. Humans can't do that, have superpowers. So how, how-

As her brain swirled with thoughts, finally deciding that she must be dreaming since nothing else made any sense, she took a step back, staring at the frost path that was left at her feet. As the shock began to drain slightly, she finally heard the bloody murder scream that filled the air. As it ended it bounced off the brick walls and water, distorting almost beyond recognition. Yet she knew that voice, how could she forget it, it was her own. Even so, it still added to the shadows which seemed to creep along the walls, claws out, ready to tear her apart. She knew she was just imagining it, but that knowledge didn't help. Maybe she was finally losing it? Could she have imagined the ice as well, the cloaked figures, the coldness trapped in her aunt's eyes?

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A dark shadow rose from against the wall, a distinctive hand appearing from the darkness, but just as quickly as it appeared, Uncle Gethen's form crumpled back onto the ground, cloaked in the shadows once again.

Before Izzy had time to react, she saw a flash of silver point at Aunt Cassy. Time slowed to a heartbreakingly slow speed, every moment, every second feeling like a lifetime, and yet her body was frozen with time, helpless as she watched.

Aunt Cassy's body tensed for a split second before her legs collapsed under her, falling lifeless onto the cold cobblestone road like a Raggedy-Ann doll, the only sign of life the twitching that filled her muscles. Then, her body fell silent, frozen against the icy ground, lifeless, clouded, turquoise eyes staring back at her.

Izzy didn't remember opening her mouth, but a scream filled the air anyway, the sound filling her brain, blocking her thoughts. She wasn't sure what she was doing, what she _should_ do. All she knew was her feet were flying under her as she ran to her aunt. A hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back. She flailed, screaming, her eyes locked onto her aunt's unmoving form. She called for her over and over, her throat painfully raw, but she didn't care. How could she? Everything she had in life, every memory of love and family she ever had, her house, her clothes, the fact she didn't end up in an orphanage, that was all because of her. She was her everything, her heart, her mom, her life. She had given up her life to raise her, and she had been by her side through every hardship, every moment of fear and shadows, every happy celebration. Without her, what was she?

She kept screaming for her, ignoring her silence, her dead eyes. She had to answer, she just had to! Even as the hand dragged her away, even as two strong arms picked her up and began carrying her towards the shadows of a dark alleyway, she didn't stop calling for her, didn't stop struggling to reach her. She knew what she was without her, incomplete, alone, _nothing_. How could she survive as nothing? She couldn't. That's why she had to be alive. She couldn't die, it just wasn't possible.

Once they were hidden by the shadows, the cloaked figure dumped her onto the ground before taking a few steps towards the entrance, glancing past each side of the brick buildings hiding them.

Izzy sat on the filthy ground, her legs folded under her as she stared blankly at a rat scurrying away from under a dumpster. It felt like she had been hit by a bus, no, a plane.

The shadow grew closer, towering over her, but she didn't have the will to fight, to move. Her brain was a constant replay of events, always settling on the unmoving form of her aunt, her cold, clouded eyes staring into nothingness. As the figure cast a shadow over her, she glanced up, barely noticing them through her blurry eyes. For the first time she noticed the tears streaming down her face. As sobs began to shake her chest, forcing their way out of her lips, she tried to hold them back, but they broke out anyway.

Bending down, the cloaked figure pulled a white kerchief out of their pocket and gently motioned it forward. Izzy stared at it for a second until they brought it closer again, a familiar voice sounding along with it.

"Take it."

Her heart beating out of her chest with shock, she reached forward, gently taking it with a shaking hand. Some part of her brain registered how impossibly soft and silky it was, but every other piece of her was focused on them. How could she not know, how did she never notice? Were they always involved in… all of this? Then, what did that mean? Horrible, heart stopping thoughts of betrayal and lies filled her hear, overflowing and soaking her stomach in the cold, slimy feeling. She attempted to rub the tears out of her eyes so she could see clearly, maybe even think clearly, but for every tear she wiped away three move flooded out.

The silhouette's hand held her chin up slightly, gently wiping Izzy's eyes with a sleeve and smiling, though it was filled with sadness.

"This reminds me of this one time when we were younger, after you started getting the nightmares." Izzy looked up into their face, watching the sadness cover their misty eyes. "You were sitting in your bed sobbing, hidden in the blankets, too scared to speak. You looked almost as helpless then as you do now."

They stood up, pulling their hood back slowly to reveal a head full of brown, curly hair. She turned, offering Izzy a hand.

Her brain was a warzone of whether she should trust her after what had just happened, what she had just done, but old habits die hard, and her hand moved on its own, grabbing her's without a second thought.

"Maria." Izzy choked out quietly after she had been pulled to her feet, Maria letting go of her hand and checking the streets once more.

Maria didn't respond, just stood quietly in the dark, fumbling to unhook the clasp of her cloak. Slowly she looked up, her eyes unnaturally intense as they met Izzy's. She took a step forward, erasing the distance between them. Izzy could feel her rushed breath hitting her cheeks as she spoke.

"Izzy." Her whisper was sharp and rushed. "I need you to listen carefully. We don't have much time, and I won't be repeating anything, alright?"

When she didn't continue, Izzy numbly nodded her head.

"Good, first, your aunt isn't dead, only stunned. However-"

"But her eyes." Izzy quietly whispered, her voice cracking..

"Yes, that's a side affect of a close range Melder blast." Izzy opened her mouth to speak, but Maria quickly added, "You'll learn about them later. Now's not the time for questions." Maria glanced anxiously back at the street before turning back, finally unhooking the clasp of her cloak.

"You need to understand this and trust me, alright? You can't go back, you can never go back. The life you've been living is a lie. You weren't in a car accident, you didn't lose your parents, and the cloaked figures are real, very real. I can't explain it right now, but your aunt is bad, so is Gethen," Her voice choked slightly as she added, "so was I."

She gently pulled her cloak around Izzy's shoulders, the silky black fabric cool against her skin. "I can't make up for all the lies I've told you, I can't fix the trauma you've gone through, and I can't fix the scars _he_ gave you, but at least I can do this." A clack sounded as she snapped the clasp shut. The cool metal fell against her collar bone, soaking in what little warmth she had.

The fabric made her feel a bit warmer, protecting her from the cold night air, but even more so because it was Maria's, her soul sister, her best friend. Izzy was beyond confused, beyond terrified and lost, like she had fallen down a rabbit hole only to end up in an alternative universe, but she trusted Maria, she trusted her with her life… just like she trusted her aunt, though she wasn't quite sure what to think now.

Izzy reached up, touching the now warm metal clasp where it sat at her collar bone, then a horrifying thought filled her head. She grasped it, using the warmth as courage to ask. There was no time for hesitation. "Those people, won't they kill you? What will happen to you since you saved me, _why_ save me?"

Maria smiled, putting both hands on Izzy's shoulders and squeezing slightly. "Because you're my soul sister. Sisters by choice, not blood, remember?" She smiled faintly as she repeated their motto. Tears began to slowly run down her cheeks as she added, "You will always be my sister, even if you decide you want nothing to do with me after this. I'll understand. But I will always be here for you Sophie, no matter what."

"Sophie?"

Maria nodded, still smiling though a twinge of sadness crept in. "That's your real name, Sophie Elizabeth Foster. I wanted to be the first to tell you, or at least be able to say it once. I guess I got both of my wishes." She laughed slightly, though it was empty.

Izzy opened her mouth to respond, but screaming some ways back shot panic into Maria's eyes. Her fingers dug into Izzy's shoulders as she sharply pulled her in for a hug before separating them, creating an unbreakable wall of distance.

"Izzy, you can't come back, ever, and trust no one, and I mean _no one_! Not even me, if we ever meet again. Now go! Run! Run as fast and far as you can, alright!? If they catch you, they'll kill you! Now go, run!" She released her grip on Izzy's shoulders, pushing her away.

"But-but what about you?" As a thought filled her brain, a tiny flicker in the darkness, steadily growing, she added, "Come with me!"

Maria sharply shook her head. "I have things to attend to. I'll be fine." She snapped. "Now go! If they catch you they'll kill you!" She grabbed Izzy's shoulders, turning her around and pushing her again, hard, nearly sending her on her butt as she stumbled out of the alley and into the street. She turned back instantly, not wanting to leave her, but the fear swirling in Maria's eyes as well as in her voice gave her no other option. As loud, angry screams came closer, she gave one last glance at Maria.

There was so much she wanted to say, so many promises she wanted to make, that she would see her again, that they would always be sisters, that she would find her and someday everything would be ok, but she couldn't promise anything. If what she said was true, everything she knew was wrong, and everything was changing. So she said the only words she could think of, the words they repeated to each other on a regular basis, their phrase, their goodbye. "I love you like a sister."

Maria smiled back, a true, happy smile. For the moment it seemed as though she had forgotten her sadness, her body relaxing slightly. Izzy stared at her smile, trying to preserve it forever, to lock it within her brain so she would never forget it, so that, just in case, that would be the last thing she remembered of her, one last perfect memory. Without another hesitation, she turned and took off running before it could be tainted by the shadows surrounding them.


	9. The First Step

Hey guys! Thank you all SO much for reading my fanfiction! I've had a friend trying to convince me to post things on this website for a few years, but I was always too scared. I had this idea in my head for years before I just posted it as a 'hey, this is pretty cool, right?' thing on Tumblr. People loved the idea, so I expanded the summary as a short what if, which became the first chapter. Even though I made it up on the spot, I received a lot of encouragement and eventually posted it on here. It was one of the most nerve wracking things I have ever done in my life. I paced back and forth in my living room for nearly an hour, (driving my mom crazy) until I forced myself to push the button. I am beyond happy I did.

You all have given me the courage and encouragement to sprint after my dream of becoming a writer and an illustrator and I can never thank you all enough! Someday, when I finally finish the (so far) 1 1/2 year book series project, I'll make sure to announce it on here first! I hope my story helps you all to gain the courage to follow your dreams!

Also, if you guys ever want to talk to me, or just estalk me (XD) I am on tumblr as MiraculousKeeperoftheWorld. I also run the Fitz Vacker rp blog WonderboytheCognate. If i'm not out hunting Pokemon or writing, you can find me here!

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Last part, **IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE READ THIS** (I'm putting this in caps because I know this note is long) I planned a Keeper event with two of my fellow roleplayers, BianatheKeeper and Keefe-plus-keefe-equals-awesome.

August 6th is the I Can't Believe That Person Betrayed Us Day! Join us to celebrate and mourn the loss of Keefe, and help bring him back, by drawing a Black Swan on your hand and showing it off to the world! Post a picture on tumblr with the hashtag #Black Swan and #I Can't Believe He Betrayed Us! so we can see all the swans take over tumblr! (Or at least form a small army! :P)

I hope to see some of you there! Thanks so much guys! 3

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The last thing her exhausted brain clearly remembered was leaving Maria. She had run across the main street and turned a corner. Just then, cloaked in darkness of the desolate alleyways, she saw them. Five hooded figures, sprinting along the main road, all running towards Maria. They were taller, broader, more imposing than the ones she had faced before. They screamed to each other, sharp, biting commands that her brain just couldn't seem to catch. She froze to the brick wall, pressing herself against the cool, rough stone like a barrier or a lucky charm, hoping to god that no one would find her.

Within seconds giant ice spikes rose above the buildings, father back in the alleyway than where she had come from; a few screams echoing off the buildings. Her heart urged her forward, tried to force her feet in front of her to save her best friend, but her brain refused to move. All she could hear was Maria telling her to run, to never look back, and then one last phrase repeated over and over.

 _Run, if they catch you, they'll kill you._

She stayed frozen to the shadows, watching, squinting through the darkness for any signs Maria had made it out. When all fell silent however, she was left with no other choice than to turn her back and run, but she couldn't do that. Not yet. Had she really made the right choice? No, but it was what Maria wanted.

But was that really enough for her? Could that stop to guilt that was beginning to eat at her heart? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to force her brain to think rationally. It took all of her willpower to keep her feet rooted, to stop herself from running to Maria in hopes she could do _something_ to help.

Instead, she quietly stalked past two buildings, parallel to the main street. Hiding in the shadows she peered out. All she wanted was a sign, some knowledge Maria was safe. As she reached the third building, she sadly looked back at the rapidly vanishing ice spikes, still visible over the rooftops. She would have to trust in Maria, just like she always did. Suppressing a sigh and trying to remind herself it was for the best, that she would die any other way, she finally turned her back, casting a tiny shadow onto the pathway that lead towards Maria, towards her aunt, and towards the only home, the only _life_ , she had ever known.

The first step, as symbolic and heart wrenching as it was, took no more effort than any other step. It felt wrong. Shouldn't she have to use all of her willpower, or stare at her foot for an elongated time, straining to produce some effort like in the movies? She had expected her bones to turn into lead, begging her not to go, but instead she only found feathers.

She began to sigh, exhaustion filling her body as the severity of the night began to settle within her, but as a voice sounded not even a fifty feet away, it turned into a sharp gasp. She ducked behind a nearby building, pressing her back to the wall and pulling her hood up, hoping either she was a natural OO7, or they were just _really_ stupid.

"I told you she was no good, didn't I?" A male voice sounded.

Another voice, deeper, sighed. "No, you said she was a _natural_. Kind of a big difference."

"Shame she was a Froster. She could have amounted to so much more!" The first voice, oddly excited, spoke.

The second man grunted in agreement. "You would have thought, with her genes..."

"Guess once a traitor always a traitor, no matter the side. She'd be lucky to go to Exile like her father."

"Are you kidding? I've been there." The deeper voice audibly shuttered. "She's lucky to find death, once they catch her."

As the metallic taste of blood hit her tongue, she realized she had been biting her lip too hard. The tasted turned her stomach at the last sentence while her brain screamed angry thoughts at them. She wasn't sure what it all meant, but they still had no right to talk about her best friend that way! The situation was so complicated though, she wasn't even sure if she had the right to think that anymore. Then, as their hooded heads appeared from behind the corner, shadows moving quietly among the darkness, the anger quickly transformed into fear. She slammed her eyes shut, holding her breath, wishing there was a way she could become one with the wall. That sounded like a pretty good life with the way things were turning out...

Her heart beat loudly in her head, and every breath they took, every footstep that echoed across the stone, reverberated in her mind. She didn't hear what they said, only heard the changes of octaves, the sound of their voices, and only when they had passed a foot or so in front of her did she realize she needed air, badly.

She opened her eyes and quickly took a gasp of air, but it wasn't quiet enough. The shorter one turned, his sky blue eyes and shaggy brown hair showing from under his cloak.

"Hurry up," The deep voice sounded from the other, taller figure. "I _will_ leave you behind, first mission or not."

"Hang on, I heard something."

Izzy tried to calm her breathing, tried to control it, but her heart had jumped into her throat, beating so loudly they had to hear it. How could they not?

His eyes peered into the darkness, staring right at her for what felt like a life time.

"There's nothing there. Now come on, we need to continue our patrol." The tall silhouette grabbed the shorter one's head, turning it slightly before he let go and began to double back, walking towards the way they came. When the shorter one joined him, he gave him a hard pat on the back, sending him flying a step or two. "You're just over excited for your first mission. Don't rush it. You don't _want_ to be the one to find her, because then-"

They were passing right by Izzy. The sentence seemed to slow to a stop as everything moved in slow motion. She saw the younger one throw a small glance at her before continuing on. She suppressed a sigh of relief, until he took another look and froze, shock spreading across his eyes.

He stared right at her shoulder where a giant white eye sat, staring out. She had forgotten its existence. Then, she followed his gaze, right into her eyes. He yelled the word brown to his companion like it was a slur, a word so horrible it could only be used for the right situations. She took off running, frantic sounds and yelling behind her as footsteps followed.


	10. The Voices in My Head

Wow, chapter 10! Can you guys believe we're in the double digits already?! I'm kind of interested to see if we'll even hit triple! (The story line is long, I'm just not sure by how much!)

Next chapter will end what I originally thought was chapter 3! XD

I have some news I think you all will be happy to hear! I've decided to set a regular updating schedule! No longer will you have to wait in agony, unaware of when I will be posting next! :D

My goal is to post a new chapter every Saturday! That being said, I'm about to go on a week long vacation. However, I already have the new chapter written, I just need to edit it! (Which is surprisingly the longest part.)

So, at the latest, my scheduled updates will be starting on August 27th!

Wish me luck guys~

And thanks again to every single one of you who is reading this, now or in the future! I am so grateful to have you guys, and to see all of your feedback! I love that a few (thousand :P ) words can cause someone to feel strong emotions and bonds with characters, and I am (amazed) so happy that I am able to cause that. I plan to continue writing for years to come! (And I'm planning many more KotlC Fanficts to come! :D Also, if you need some angsty Fitz, check out my rp blog on tumblr, WonderboytheCognate. You'll find what you're looking for! XD)

That being said, enjoy the chapter and have a great next week! And to those of you who just recently had their first day of school, good luck and I hope you get awesome teachers! ^.^ (And same to those of you like me who haven't started yet :) )

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Her feet hit the rough, uneven cobblestones over and over, rubbing them raw and causing her to stumble as she ran through the darkened streets of Venice. It seemed like a ghost town compared to daytime, but that was better. It would be easier to see them coming, or at least she hoped so. She had just barely escaped the two men from the alleyway, the taller one's grubby fingers grazing her scarred arms as the younger one screamed at her to stop. But she _had_ escaped. She kept running, terrified the silhouettes could appear at any moment, her mind burning the fingerprints onto her numb skin. It was as if a thick fog had formed in her brain, blocking her thoughts. Her body was running on pure instincts and adrenaline. She ran through street after street, cutting corners and speeding through the dark shadows, wishing she could fade among them.

She wasn't sure how long she had been running, or how far she had gone. All she knew was nothing looked familiar, and her body grew too tired to continue. She collapsed on her knees by the water's edge, holding herself up with her hands as she took giant, wheezing breaths in and out, in and out, until her chest began to burn a little less, and her heart beat slowly faded from her head.

She was safe now, or at least safer. She had changed her direction several times, hoping it would throw them off. But they would find her eventually. With weird powers and her former family behind them, they easily had a hold over her. She couldn't go anywhere she usually would, could think like herself. Because that was how they would get her. So, she had embraced Maria's attitude, spontaneously running down random side streets, choosing whichever way caught her eye. Her brain told her she should be panicking, but she was too tired, too numb.

As the glare of the full moon caught the corner of her eye, she looked up at the large waterway which fed directly into the ocean. The dark, inky waters, which seemed to stretch on to infinity were only cut by the silver crests which shone in the light of the moon. She was bent over, still gasping for breath, her silhouette slightly outlined by the moonbeams. But otherwise, she blended into the water's darkness. She ran a hand over her forehead, the humid air sending tiny water droplets onto her skin, mixing in with the salty sweat which beaded down her face and back.

As her breaths began to even out, she stood up. Sweeping her eyes across the area, and seeing no one, she allowed herself to stare out at the ocean, though she couldn't enjoy the view.

What was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? She had no one, no money, and the only hint of her past existence she had was her real name, which could just as easily be fake. Everything she knew was a lie, _she_ was a lie. If she lost her memories for a reason… then who was she really? And why couldn't she remember?

She was filled with unbearable despair that attempted to tear apart her heart, and the hole already deep within her from the loss of her parents and her memories, grew. Anger began to bubble up within her as the situation settled in, her brain finally starting to realize it wasn't a dream. She embraced the anger, welcomed it, because it was better than being depressed, better than being lost in the darkness. She clenched her jaw as she tried to come up with a plan, but her brain was too full of everything else to think properly. A glint of light caught her eye, and for what felt like the first time, she noticed her mother's bracelet.

The green jade edged with gold, and elegantly carved, seemed almost menacing. She suddenly saw the hospital room again, white and sterile. Her aunt had clasped the bracelet onto her right wrist, telling her it was her mother's and making her promise to never, ever take it off, no matter what. The hospital smell filled her nose, making her stomach feel like it had been plunged into the cold ocean water. Fear of the future, sadness at her aunt's abandonment, and anger at every lie that swirled around her head, buzzing false words at her ears like mosquitos, filled her. Before she knew what she was doing the bracelet was off her wrist, the warm jade leaving her fingertips as it sailed towards the dark waters. It hit the waves with a plunk, and instantly disappeared under the inky darkness.

Regret crashed over her lie a tidal wave as she stared in horror at the now vacant spot. The thought that it could be a lie left her mind, and all she could think of were the lonely nights she spent, curled up in her blanket, stroking and talking to her bracelet as if it would talk back. It didn't matter if it was a lie. It was all she had, the only remanence of her existence on earth. And who knew, it could even be the key to the truth. To finding her real family.

She raced towards the water, prepared to jump in, prepared to spend the rest of her life searching among the waves for her bracelet.

And then it hit her.

A step before she hit the ledge, the only thing separating her from the water, a giant force crashed into her head. She instantly fell to her knees, feeling like someone had taken an axe to her skull. Soft mummers filled her brain, ghostly voices invading, colliding together into a giant heap, refusing to let her think. She tried to take deep breaths, tried to work through it, but the pain wouldn't let her. It was too strong. A few tears ran down her cheeks as she bit her tongue, trying to hold in a scream. She used all of her willpower to push herself up, ignoring the taste of blood in her mouth for the second time that night. She needed to escape, needed to get away from the voices. As she began to run, her feet falling into a monotonous rhythm, her bracelet was the last thing on her mind.

When the voices became nearly silent, she stopped running. The pain was still there, but it was bearable, and that realization was enough for her body to collapse. She stared up at the sky, her body slumped against a cold stone wall. It would be a few hours till morning. How long had she been running? The only answer her exhausted brain could come up with was too long. As she dazedly looking around, once again she realized she didn't recognize where she was, though it was hard to tell from the dark alleyway she sat in. The alley was nothing spectacular. A few black garbage bags sat about five feet to her left, and a large, green dumpster on her right propped her up. Otherwise, it was empty. She forced her aching body to sit up, pain racing through every muscle in protest as she did so. She carefully unclasped her cloak, her fingers fumbling, and her brain too tried to care about sentimental value.

When she finally unhooked it, she pulled it around her, watching as it billowed out for a split second before covering her like a blanket. She pulled the hood up over her face and snuggled closer to the dumpster, hoping she would look like any other trash bag, and even more so wishing she would just wake up and find it was all a dream; that her brain, her nightmares, had failed her once again.

But deep down she knew it was real, that there was no way for her to escape her nightmares this time, and she had no one to talk it through with. Because now she was alone, a true orphan. She curled up into a ball as sobs shook her body. She tried to force them down, knowing that any sound could be her demise, but she soon stopped caring. She was too tired to worry, and if death was going to come, she would welcome it, because anything was better than this.

As the stars began to vanish overhead, and the bottled up tears finally streamed down her face, forming little paths on her cheeks, she slowly fell to sleep. This time the cloaks didn't come for her, her arms didn't burn, and screams didn't fill her ears. This time, she was safe in her dreams, a warm trickle and the color teal being the only thing which filled her brain. Because this time, the real nightmares were real, they existed outside her mind, and there was no escaping them. Dreams or not.


	11. The Sun Keeps Moving

Izzy flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as she was startled awake, loud chatter filling her brain. It was louder than the night before, and easily a hundred more voices spun around her head. The pain was less however, only a throbbing migraine reminding her it wasn't a dream. She slowly blinked her eyes open, expecting bright rays of sunlight, and maybe, if she was lucky, her familiar bedroom walls, but all she saw was darkness, endless, infinite darkness.

She gasped, freezing momentarily before flailing like a fish out of water, desperate to escape. As her cloak shifted in her struggle, she realized she had the hood over her head. She ripped it down, pulling the cloak off and letting it pool next to her on the dirty cobblestones. Ignoring the slight blush that crept up her cheeks, she cautiously stood up, glancing around. No bedroom walls encircled her, no red headed aunts or pouting best friends complaining that she had overslept Instead, she found herself in just another grubby alleyway, the kind you could walk by every day and never realize existed. She bit her lip, pulling on a few itchy eyelashes in thought.

 _What now?_

That thought repeated over and over in her head, weaving among the alien thoughts of bread, sales on apples, and how insane the price of milk was getting to be. She took a deep breath, wishing she was crazy, wishing she could take some sort of medicine and shut it off, but the thoughts were too exact, too specific to be fake.

She took a deep breath and listened to the thoughts, thinking that maybe she could figure out how to get rid of them, or even hear her attackers coming. A minute or two of useless thoughts later, which left her brain feeling like it had a knife stuck in it, she gave up. Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

She tried to push back the thoughts, needing space to think. It worked, kind of. Every time she pushed them away, they seeped back in. She tried to ignore it as she went over the events of the night before. A few vivid details played through her mind's eyes. Maria's eyes as Izzy said goodbye, Aunt Cassy's hair as she pulled down the cloak's hood, Uncle Gethen's cold eyes and sharp, moonlit scar, and the sound of her bracelet hitting the water. Everything else was a blur of color and sound. She leaned back against the wall, replaying the memories over and over until she had worked out everything in between to a clear resolution. She didn't want to miss anything, because even the tiniest detail could change everything.

But nothing stood out. She couldn't find any details that would explain the mess she was in. In the end, she was sure of only two things. People were after her, and she had to disappear, quickly, and she hadn't been discovered the night before in her trash bag disguise. She pulled herself up and grabbed her cloak, heading to the entrance of the alleyway. People shuffled back and forth, vendors yelling out random products, and spices filling the air.

Another market, _of course_ she had to end up in another market. She glanced at her cloak, which didn't exactly say subtle. Luckily, she had learned a few tricks from Maria over the years. Maria was an expert on anything fashion diy, which included the odd folding of things to make other things. She never quite understood why someone would want to wear a perfectly good t-shirt as a dress, but for once she was glad Maria had forced her to learn. After a few tries, she finally managed to make the cloak look like a jacket. Tied around her waist, she had to fold the fabric a few times to shorten it. Inside outing it also took care of the eye on the sleeve, and the hood hid nicely against her back. It was nothing compared to what Maria could do, no doubt about that, but she had to admire her on the spot handiwork. And more importantly, it would keep her safe…er.

Even with that taken care of, her heart still ached. The end of the alley showed a plaza that was bright and filled with sunshine. It seemed like a different world, one where no one's lives had been shattered and people could live without worry. In addition, she knew she would be easily visible in the open space, which meant easily caught. But as her stomach angrily growled, she knew she had to do something. She hadn't eaten since lunch the day before, and if she stood still, avoiding the future, the cloaked figures would find her eventually. She hesitantly took a step into the light, flinching as it burned her eyes.

She walked through the market, forcing her eyes open against the rising sun. Every unexpected sound caused her to flinch, and everyone seemed like an enemy; like black cloaks could suddenly appear around them. Their smiles and glances suddenly turned sinister. Her brain was on overload, and the voices didn't help. As her migraine grew, she pretty quickly realized she needed to get out of the commercial area.

The area outside of the market was filled with stores, empty of apartments except for the occasional one above a restaurant and such. That explained why it had been so much quieter the night before. She weaved through a few alleyways, sticking to the shadows. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her it wasn't happy, but she couldn't help that. She had no money, and unless her luck was about to take a turn, there were no euros in sight.

Glancing up at the sky, she decided it had probably been around two hours since she woke up, the sun starting to reach it's peak. She tugged on an itchy eyelash, flicking it away as she bit her lip in thought. As her stomach once again threatened to eat itself, and she knew she had to come up with a plan. She wouldn't be able to run on an empty stomach for long. She patted her pockets, checking for any loose change, though she was sure it wouldn't be enough. But she was desperate. At the very least she might have something to barter?

The first pocket she checked was empty except her phone, but the second gave a resounding squish. She stared at it in disgust as she pulled… whatever it was, out by two fingers. When the very malformed napkin sat in her hand however, a smile grew from ear to ear. It smelled a bit funny from sitting in her jeans all day, was squished beyond recognition from falling asleep on it, and a piece of dryer lint was stuck to it, but she didn't care. As she devoured the Mallowmelt, she thanked whatever being may be out there that she had gone on that stupid date. And then it hit her.

Everything changed once she met him, Fitz. All of the lies, all of the betrayal, it didn't come to light until he showed up. Somehow he was at the heart of this. Izzy froze as another realization dawned on her, the half a bite still in her mouth, sinking like a rock as she forced herself to swallow it.

He called her _Sophie._

Not just that, the waitress did as well… His face when she mentioned her- _the_ name, flashed in her mind. He cringed, like he had been hurt… Why?

He knew who she really was. So why didn't he tell her? And why did he look so surprised to see her on that day in on the church steps?

If her life was a lie, her memories erased, that meant she could only account for five years. She had to have a past. Maybe he was part of it…maybe her family was actually alive as well, desperately looking for her.

Or she could have no past, and he could be one of those hunting her down…

Izzy shivered at the thought and tried to push him out of her mind as she finished her Mallowmelt and continued walking. But it was hard. She kept hearing his deep, accented voice whispering her real name, his eyes filled with disbelief and pain. It seemed so genuine, so sincere. And the color of his eyes, such an impossible color. So why did they match her dreams so perfectly? Could it be that she remembered him?

She shook her head, pushing herself out of her thoughts. With a glance at her surroundings, she realized she had been walking aimlessly, lost in thought. She stared up at the sun for a few seconds before attempting to blink away the dark spot in front of her eyes. It was maybe three o'clock. Had she really been wandering around for three hours? She mentally chided herself. It was getting later by the minute, and she still needed a plan. Thinking of some strange guy who appeared out of nowhere wasn't going to help. But she couldn't ignore the fact that he knew her and her past.

As she walked out of the maze of alleyways and onto a large main street, she decided she had to do something. She couldn't just wait for them to catch her, and unless she did something, she would probably always be running, or worse. She took a deep breath to steady her confidence as she finally decided on a plan. She would go back to that café, and she would find out the truth. Even if that meant hiding out in a garbage can to do so. She was tired of running. It had only been a few hours, but that didn't stop her muscles from burning. Plus, her neck still had a crook in it from falling asleep on a dumpster, and only eating Mallowmelt made her feel sick. There was no way she was going to live like this. Not if she could help it. She would find the truth one way or another.

Izzy walked down the sunlit sidewalk, resolute and determined, until she almost ran into a group of girls giggling and whispering. When they made no effort to move, not even noticing her presence, she sighed and walked out around them. As she stepped onto the street, her curiosity grew and she followed their gaze. Her gaze quickly locked onto two teal eyes, her body freezing in disbelief, her foot handing midstep.

 _It was him_.

She may have decided to confront him, but she wasn't ready, not now. Fitz broke his gaze away from hers, and she watched helplessly as he turned to a man walking out of the door way behind him. The man turned, his blonde hair swaying slightly with the sharp movement as his bright blue eyes bore into hers. They were stretched wide, and there was a sharpness to them, a pain. He then made a large, sweeping motion with his two tanned arms, it seemed to say "no," but why? Fitz began to run forward, turning his head and saying something back to the man. The group of girls began giggling and squealing, one stating that the "American model must be coming to speak to her." As they began to argue, their voices rising about Fitz's as he yelled something to Izzy, she took off running.

She glanced back, trying to decide what to do, if she should keep going. He was still a good ways behind her. He yelled to her again as he began to catch up, but he didn't notice the bicyclist flying down the road. Izzy stopped, her chest tightening as she watched him jump out of the way just in time. As sigh of relief let her lips before she could think about it. The bicyclist yelled a few choice words as she questioned her relief. But there was no time. She was about to turn back, until their eyes locked again. His teal eyes were filled with worry… and rage. The anger that bubbled up in his eyes felt like a punch to her stomach as she ripped her gaze away from his. Maria's voice played in her head, warning her to "trust no one."

He was one of them. Why else would he stare at her like that, like he wanted to rip her apart limb from limb. Even Uncle Gethen's cold, murderous eyes were more welcoming than his. She turned around, ignoring his call of "wait" and ran into the alley turning the sharp corner as she tried to recollect her thoughts. Obviously her plan wasn't going to work.

As she ran between the narrow, bricked walls however, she suddenly didn't care about plans or her future. Because as a large hand grabbed her around the waist, and a tall figure appeared from the shadows, she only cared about now.

She flailed, ignoring the sharp, burning pain her aching muscles made in protest as she struggled to escape. A cloth was shoved against her nose, and the air suddenly turned sickeningly sweet, like cotton candy lit on fire. It burned her throat and lungs as she clawed at anything in reach, desperate to escape.

But the grip was too strong, and soon she began to fall into a dark, dreamless void. The last thing she heard before she lost her grip was an accented voice screaming her name.

 _Sophie!_


	12. The First Dream

A loud, accented scream filled her ears, shocking Izzy awake. There were other voices in the room, but they were all muffled, too blurry to make out. She fought against the dark curtain draped over her mind, desperate to escape. Her muscles wouldn't listen though, leaving her stranded as she laid helplessly on what felt like a bed, the voices quickly sharpening.

Fitz screamed in rage, his voice echoing slightly as she flinched, her head throbbing. "That wasn't necessary! I could have I talked to her, I could have-"

"We didn't have any other choice." A calm male voice said slowly yet firmly, cutting Fitz off. "If she kept running, _they_ would have gotten her. We couldn't afford to lose her _again_."

"What the _hell_ was I supposed to do?! Just grab her and tell her she couldn't go home?! I already made that mistake once! I am _not_ making it again!" Fitz hoarsely screamed back.

"That was the plan. But since you didn't follow it, I had to do it for you."

"She will be very slow to trust us now Leto." Another quiet yet strong, male voice sounded from Izzy's right.

"I know," Leto responded wearily, half sighing. "But at least she's not dead." He spat.

"I didn't know, alright! I had eyes on her!" Fitz growled.

"Eyes on her!? You lost her!" Leto's voice yelled back.

The quieter voice was followed by soft footsteps moving towards Fitz. "It's ok. You meant well. You were just trying to help her…

"Obviously it didn't work." Fitz grumbled as he stormed closer to her unmoving body. Izzy struggled to move as his footsteps came closer. She didn't quite understand it all, and like the one voice said, she didn't trust them. They had kidnapped her for pete's sake!

She flinched slightly as a cool hand rested on her forehead. "You still didn't have to kidnap her." Fitz's crisply British accent spoke from above her head. For some reason it made her body relax slightly, though she mentally chided herself for it. His hand left her head, two fingers pressing against her neck.

"I agree with that." The other voice said. "There had to be another way…"

"Tiergan," Leto started. "You know there was no other choice."

The fingers left her neck, and she heard Fitz muttering numbers to himself under his breath.

"We could have tried to reason with her. Sophie's a smart girl." Tiergan stated, his voice warming at the second half.

"I know, but I couldn't take any chances. We didn't have more than a few minutes." Leto whispered, a sadness creeping into his words.

"She's awake." Fitz announced as the room fell silent.

Izzy froze, not that it made much of a difference. She struggled to get up. She wanted answers, or at the very least to not feel so vulnerable. But no matter how hard she tried to move, how much energy she burned through, begging them to even move a centimeter, it was useless. Instead she laid there awkwardly as three stares bore into her.

"Are, are you sure?" Tireagan's voice cautiously came closer after a few minutes of silence.

Her heartbeat is faster, almost at normal levels. I think the chloroform is still taking it's affect though." Fitz paused, and from the slight grumble off to the side, she gathered he had stopped to glared at Leto. "But she might be able hear us."

"I don't think so Fitz." Tiergan responded. "It's been maybe three hours at the most since we… _got_ her. It shouldn't wear off that fast."

"Yeah, probably…" Fitz mumbled. Suddenly, she heard a sharp swish of fabric coming from his direction. "What do you think you're doing?" Fitz snap, his voice a bit closer to her than before. There was a second of silence before he spoke again. "You need to leave." Nobody made a sound as the air became tense and sharp. She felt the bed shift slightly as someone sat down and pick up her hand, intertwining their fingers with hers.

"Fitz…" Tiergan warned, an edge of sadness to his voice.

"No, he did this, he can leave. _I'll_ take care of her. She's my responsibility after all."

"I'm afraid you have it backward, but fine. I will leave, for now." Leto slowly spoke before heavy footsteps followed him out of the room. She heard a door open and close loudly.

"This was never your responsibility Fitz." Tiergan started. You were just a kid. You _still_ are a kid. You brought her back though, you did your job."

"If I had listened to her- "Fitz whispered, until Tiergan cut him off.

"She is an enigma in our society. Any other time it would have been foolish to listen. You did what any other elf would do. But you have to let this go. If you come close to breaking again-"

"I know." Fitz painfully snapped, squeezing her hand a bit tighter.

Izzy heard footsteps walking towards the door, but they stopped short. A slight swish of fabric sounded before Tireagan's voice was heard again. "You've completed your mission. You've done everything you could and you should be proud of yourself. Most people don't get to make up for the guilt they have. Either way, I hear by release you from the Black Swan. You are no longer an agent. So go and live a happy life, and put this behind you."

A few crackly noises sounded from in front of Izzy before the bed sprung back, footsteps moving forward. "Wh-what?! What do you mean I'm released?!"

"You don't have a choice Fitz, _I_ don't have a choice. You told someone outside of our organization about her, _where to find her._ That could have had irreversible consequences. Everyone understands you have different motives than us, and we accept that, we always have, and you are an invaluable agent but-"

"But?" Fitz choked out.

Tiergan sighed. "You've repeatedly broken the rules. We have turned a blind eye to it for years Fitz, but when it comes to Sophie… you tend to throw caution to the wind. Just in the span of a week, you approached Sophie without our permission, you told _your sister_ about her, and you followed her for days, coming in close contact with the Neverseen. You even brought her to our Venice hideout!"

"I didn't mean to bump into her. That _was_ an accident." Fitz mumbled.

"But posing as someone reviewing teacher performance, was that?"

"No…"

Tiergan's footsteps came a few feet closer. "Fitz, do you remember why we offered you this job in the first place? The event that happened?"

"…yeah." Fitz whispered under his breath so quietly Izzy could barely make it out.

"That doesn't have to happen ever again now. You completed your goal Fitz, and it was a pleasure to work with you. But you deserve to live out your younger years now while you still can. Being an agent has made you old."

A soft chuckle sounded from Fitz. "You enjoyed being my partner? Even if I'm a Vacker?"

"Yes." Tiergan said, a smile to his voice. "I guess I was wrong about _all_ Vackers."

Tiergan's footsteps began to make their way towards the door once again, but Fitz stopped them, his quiet voice much closer to Izzy suddenly. "…What if I can't let it go. Now that I have much more free time… That was what kept my mind off of it before… But now-"

Izzy mentally jumped in shock as a two warm finger ran across her scarred arm.

"It's so much more real. I, can't pretend she just went back to the Forbidden Cities, or that it was all a dream..."

"It will get better Fitz." Tiergan warmly said. "Plus, you have a more important job now. She is going to have a hard time transitioning back, maybe even more than before. She'll need your help… That's how I got through mine." He whispered the last part, his voice crackling slightly.

"Thanks." Fitz muttered as he clasped Izzy's hand again.

"Anytime, I mean it Fitz."

Fitz made a slightly grunt in acknowledgement as the door squeaked shut.

As a silence fell once again, the tense moment being over, Izzy continued to struggle to move, but the drug was still taking affect. She wanted to get up, to move, to scream that she was awake, to figure out what all of this meant so that her head would stop being a swimming battleground, but when Fitz let go of her hand and disappeared, she suddenly felt very alone and very scared. It was like most of the nights, but even worse. Like all of her nightmares and fears curled up into one, filling her heart. She tried to focus on anything else, not wanting to cry, but it was hard. Just as tears began to pool on her eyes, the bed sunk down on her other side, and she could feel a warmth not too far off. The bed creaked slightly and soon a warm breath fluttered onto her ear, a hand intertwining with hers, making her heart do cartwheels.

"Sorry" an accented voice mumbled a bit too close, causing a heat to rise up to her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Soph. But don't worry. I won't leave you alone, alright? It's a promise. I'll do better this time…"

She didn't want to admit it, but she was glad he was there. She didn't understand what was going on, or how he seemed to know her, but something told her she should trust him. After everything she had heard, everything that had happened, at least she knew now he was sincere. She didn't want to trust someone she had only met a day before, especially after finding she couldn't trust those she had known her whole life, but it was hard to fight it. It was like her gut had taken over, deciding for her. She struggled for a few minutes to stay awake, still wary, but his rhythmic breaths and her lack of energy from trying to move made it impossible. She quickly found herself floating off to sleep, and for the first time since she could remember, she dreamed.


	13. Hit Him With Everything You've Got!

Yay, next chapter! I didn't have much time to write this past week with the hurricane scare, and when I did I had no inspiration! Double whammy right?! Well, I had a huge burst of inspiration Friday night! I'm (maybe?) half way through the next chapter now as well! Hopefully I will have a buffer chapter? Maybe? I have my first ever job interview (I'M SO EXCITED! :D) on Wednesday, and I have the learn at least the first two stanzas of Scots Wha Hae on the chanter (the first part you learn of the bagpipes) so who knows. Plus my coming weekend is like everything happening at once! So, if I don't get a chance to tell you all this weekend, stay safe on 9/11, know I'm somewhere hearing Amazing Grace and trying not to sob on live tv (like the past five years XD Yeah, wish me luck... I'm not wearing mascara this year!), and, most importantly,

 _ **343 Never Forget!**_

Now, onto story related things! Questions!

For the question I received, thank you so much Emily Jacobs for your kind words! (And all of you always! I reread everything you guys write 3) However, I'm afraid I can't permit you to write a story within the comments of my story. I feel like it would take away from both of our writings. Plus, you deserve to get the recognition for creating an original story! May I suggest Quotev? That is my favorite original story site! I heard Fanfic also has one as well! I hope where ever you do publish your story, you get the same support and love I've received on here! 3

Another question I noticed from ThunderMist36 was why does Fitz feel so guilty! I wanted to write a long answer, or even a shorter answer, and then I was going to write a really simple answer, but I realized it gives a lot away. Sorry, but you will enjoy/have your heart ripped out/there will be fluffy angst, when you find out! :D (I can hear you all groaned. I know, I'm a terrible writer MWAhahahahahHAHA!)

Also strawbr'yblond periwinkle love, I'm glad to see someone hasn't forgotten about poor Dex! :3 YOUR QUESTION SHALL BE ANSWERED, at a later date. :P Also this is going to be a very, VERY long ride! :D

So, ON TO THE STORY :D IF YOU JUST SCROLLED PAST THE TOP THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO STOP! :D

Story below!

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(ps sorry it is kind of squishy. Formatting hates me . Even on tumblr!)

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Izzy woke up, still groggy from her extensive lack of sleep and the remaining effects of the chloroform. She subconsciously stretched out her legs, her aching muscles reveling in their first movement.

She was too tried to actually realize she could move, or even what had happened the night before. The fog blanket over her mind was still thick, and to her she was still in her cozy bedroom in Venice. Without thought Izzy sleepily rolled over and snuggled into the warmth radiating from her side before quickly falling back into a deep slumber.

Sometime later, a sharp movement shook the bed, startling her out of her sleep. Izzy sat up quickly, scanning the unfamiliar room for the source. Her body felt weird, her limbs achingly sore and her heart tight. Her stomach was growling angrily, but she was actually thankful it was empty. Had it not been she had no doubt she would be running for the bathroom.

That's when she noticed that not only was this not her bedroom, but a tall figure stood by the side of the bed, a hand covering their mouth. Izzy blinked a few times, staring at the figure as her brain started to wake up, piecing together everything that had happened. Two teal eyes flickered towards her, staring back at her for a second, frozen in shock before swiftly flying away. His gaze made her heart do a flip. Fitz dropped his hand, and as he turned to get something, his wavy dark hair moved slightly and she was able to see a bright red ear.

Her mind grazed upon the thought of how cute that was, until it was quickly smashed by reality. She had forgotten one detail in her drug induced fog which sat on her brain, a light mist now. She wasn't here by choice. No.

 _She was a captive._

 _Kidnapped._

Panic filled her body as she searched for a way out. Jumping out of the unfamiliar bed, her feet hit the floor with a heavy thud. Her legs buckled under her slightly, but she managed to catch herself, using the bed and side table as support. She quickly pulled herself up, scanning the room for ways to escape.

"Are you alright?" A surprisingly concerned, accented voice asked her. She glanced over at the sound to see Fitz standing there with a glass of water, his eyes filled with worry.

Izzy wanted to trust him, but she couldn't. Trusting him would be the most illogical decision of her life, and it would go against everything Aunt Cassy had taught her. She was pretty sure he had said something the night before to change her mind, but it was all a blur now. All she could remember was his warm breath of her ear and that he made her feel safe. Both made a red heat creep up her cheeks, and neither she was willing to admit.

As he stared back at her, waiting for her answer, only one logical thought was left in her head, only one thing she knew without a doubt. He was one of her kidnappers.

He jumped back in shock as a pillow hit him across the chest, spilling the water down his shirt. But when two more pillows, what looked like a Kleenex box, a picture frame, and a book followed suit, he had more than snapped out of it.

Izzy quickly found he was pretty athletic. Somehow he dodged most everything she threw at him, and still made it look easy. As she went to throw the third book, grabbing at the bookshelf next to the bedside table with her free hand for another one, he jumped over the bed in a way she thought only superheroes could, and grabbed her wrist while she stared in shock.

"So-Izzy, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He whispered kindly as he gripped her tighter, easily counteracting her struggle.

She grabbed another book in her free hand, attempting to use it as a weapon.

"Kid-kidnapper!" She cried as she pushed her muscles forward, aiming for his shoulder or his head. She wasn't sure which, she hadn't thought it out that far. Though she didn't really want to hurt him, as long as she was freed she didn't care.

He easily grabbed her other wrist, forcing her to drop the heavy book with a loud thud.

"Izzy, listen to me I-"

Panic flowing through her veins, her heart beat beginning to fill her head, she flailed her legs like there was no tomorrow.

Fitz sighed as he lifted her in the air, her feet just barely missing the ground as she desperately swung.

"Calm down Izzy."

Izzy took a deep breath, not because of what he said, but because she needed to think. She needed a plan.

"You're fine, I won't let anything ha-"

Fitz dropped to the floor with a loud groan, her plan of a well-aimed kick working better than she has hoped. When he instinctually dropped her her legs failed and she fell to the ground with him. She pulled herself up, forcing her burning, stiff legs forward as she ran to the door, throwing it open.

A tall, oddly bespectacled man who looked a lot like a mad scientist with his crazy black hair stood on the other side of the door, jumping back slightly to avoid being hit.

"Oh, Sophie you're awake!" He cheerfully said, but her brain was too deep into escape mode to notice his happy demeanor. She raced past him, accidentally hitting him hard with her shoulder and sending his bag and its contents sprawling on the floor.

He stared at her, a mixture of shock and sadness as she turned and ran as fast as her as she could.

She wasn't sure where she had been taken, but it was like a maze. It took her three and a half hallways to find the staircase, and then two more on the ground floor before she heard yelling and footsteps. Stuck in the kitchen, she quickly scanned for a way out as the voices got closer and closer.

The room had windows across the outside wall, and one, large glass door leading into a garden. She sprinted for it, her hands fumbling as she gripped the handle and ripped it open.

Cool, fresh air hit her face, causing goosebumps to form across her arms as she froze for a split second, taking in the feeling of freedom, the feeling of defeating the impossible. It was the best thing she had ever experienced.

Then she was off, swerving past a few odd plant creatures who gasped in surprise, and running faster than she ever had before. The world seemed to blur as her legs constantly threatened to fall out from under her, her strides almost too large for her to keep up with. Time ran together and it seemed like a second had past as she flew through an abnormally tall, thickly wooded forest. Maria, being their high school track star, had told her about this feeling before, a runner's high.

It felt amazing. to be able to run, to finally move her muscles, to feel them stretch as the sun's heat hit her pale skin, it felt like she had been a captive forever. As the realization that she had been a captive for her whole life hit her, she shuddered and pushed the thought away. At least she was free now.

As the energy dissipated from her, she collapsed under a giant red tree with a fort on top, though she didn't notice either. Heavy breaths forced her chest to rise and fall laboriously as sweat pooled down her face and back.

She sat there for a few minutes, closing her eyes and she focused on her breath.

 _in and out in and out in and out_

A loud gasp broke the silence of the forest. She snapped her eyes open, two sets of eyes staring back at her in shock.


	14. Lie

Hey guys! Sorry for my absence! I've been crazy busy lately preparing my art portfolio for this huge event, and working! I got a job! Yay! Next Saturday is my big portfolio event, so I'm in crunch time right now. I might not be able to post as regularly, but I'm going to make myself sit down and write. I'll try to come up with a new schedule later!

Thank you guys for being so patient! *heart*

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"S-sophie?" A tall, handsome guy whispered her- _the_ name in disbelief. His ice blue eyes were stretched wide; his messy, yet perfectly done blonde hair fluttering slightly in the breeze.

He took a step forward, reaching his arm out towards her as if to test if she was real, causing her to flinch.

A beautiful, dark haired, teal eyed girl put a hand on his arm, making him jump slightly, as if he had forgotten she existed.

"Keefe," she whispered sadly, "she doesn't know us. You'll scare her."

Izzy stared at her in shock, her perfectly done makeup and hair almost as recognizable as her eyes.

Keefe looked at the girl in confusion. "What do you mean she doesn't-"

"Y-you! The girl who disappeared!" Izzy cried, the shock that ran through her veins too strong for her to care whether she interrupted them or not. She pointed a shaky finger at her accusingly before pushing herself up, using the tree for support as her legs threatened to buckle underneath her.

Keefe's eyes met Izzy's before snapping back to his friend. He stared at her as he yanked his arm away, taking a step back.

"Keefe," she pleaded.

Keefe just shook his head and took another step back, betrayal evident in his eyes.

"Now's not the time Keefe."

"Biana, you knew?! You knew Sophie was alive and you didn't tell me?!" He angrily yelled at her, seething.

Izzy wasn't eager to get in between the girl and his anger, but curiosity was the victor of the war in her head. She _had_ to ask.

"You, you know me?" She tried to speak loudly, to show that she wasn't afraid, but it came out as a weak whisper, her true feelings showing through.

Keefe turned away from Biana as he sadly smiled at her. "Yeah. We were _best_ friends."

A blush crept up Izzy's cheeks. _Best_ friends? But he looked so, cool… No one like that would have ever been her friend… except Maria.

As Izzy pushed the thought of Maria out of her head, her eyes beginning to water, Biana took a step towards Keefe, rolling her eyes. "You only knew her for a year, and you barely hung out together."

"So did you!" He snapped. "But I would have told you if your dead best friend came back to life! Not that you were ever her friend!"

Biana turned into an icicle as her face paled and she stared at the ground, "I thought we agreed to never talk about that again." She squeaked.

Keefe only responded by taking a few steps towards Izzy, which left her unsure if she should attempt to run, or brace for whatever was about to happen. She tried to take a step away, but her legs wobbled dangerously. He grabbed her arm just in time, pulling her up and into a bone crushing hug, her face smooshed against his chest as she struggled for freedom, and air.

"I missed you Mysterious Miss F." Keefe mumbled sadly into her hair, his voice catching.

She froze, holding her breath as a sudden, unexplainable sadness filled her, like someone had reached in and squeezed her heart.

 _Like Fitz's eyes..._

A few wet drops fell on her shoulder, but it wasn't from her. She tried to look up, but the hug was too tight, immobilizing her in place, like she could disappear at any second.

A slight crunching of leaves made her suddenly hyper aware of Biana presence, tension flowing through the air from where she stood.

Izzy tried to end the hug a few times, but Keefe never seemed to notice, or at least didn't care. He only let go when a third, very recognizable voice filled the forest, obviously out of breath.

"Sophie." Fitz wheezed slightly as he reached them, wiping a hand across his forehead. "I've looked _everywhere_ for you! Was that _really_ necessary?!"

Izzy spun around the best she could in Keefe's grasp, which wasn't very much at all, before he let her go and she was left struggling to keep her balance. As Keefe walked towards Fitz, a strong, cool hand gently wrapped around her elbow, holding her up as she found her footing. She glanced over, Biana meeting her gaze with a soft, sad smile. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, making Izzy's stomach swim a bit. If this was real, if they all knew her, then what had happened to make them all so sad? Was it really better that she was back? If that's what this was…

"So… I knew you, too?"

"Yeah." Biana smiled faux brightly as her voice cracked. A few tears, sparkling like diamonds in the sunbeams that fell from the forest canopy, slowly ran down her cheeks. "Yeah, we were… friends…"

"Oh." Izzy muttered as she pulled a loose eyelash out, flicking it to the ground.

Biana giggled slightly. "You still do that, huh?"

Izzy blushed. "So, I did it before?"

Biana nodded before sighing. "You really don't remember anything?"

"No."

Biana let go of Izzy's elbow, her perfectly jeweled nails flashing slightly as her face was marred by a creased brow. "Then, you should know…"

"How could you?! You're worse than Biana is!"

Izzy eyes followed the loud voice only to see Fitz cornered against a tree, his hands up at shoulder height in defense as Keefe wildly motioned with his arms.

"How long did you keep me in the dark?!"

"Keefe, calm down, I-"

"No! Tell me!"

"You were never there! Alright?! I never saw you anymore! What am I supposed to do, show up on your doorstep and tell you I'm a member of the Black Swan and Sophie's alive?! You have no right to yell at me!"

Fitz's glare was one of the coldest Izzy had ever seen. Keefe stumbled backwards in shock, his mouth opening and closing several times, though he remained silent.

"I, I wanted to, but…"

"Yeah, I know. You were busy." Fitz snapped. "You were _always_ busy."

Keefe's face paled, though he didn't move, his feet frozen in place. Fitz walked towards Sophie, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her back towards the house. Izzy looked back at Biana, but she only gave a small, tight smile and a tiny wave.

"You could have seen me too, Fitz. I'm not the only one who has a pathfinder, or feet for that matter."

Biana put a hand on Keefe's arm, as if to hold him back. "You really have the worse timing Keefe. Just let it go."

"No, I'm not! I don't speak to him for, what, three years, and he just shows up with _alive_ Sophie and acts like _I'm_ the bad guy?!"

"Keefe-"

"Four." Fitz said as he froze, releasing Izzy's arm as he spun around.

"What?" Keefe snapped.

"It was four years. It happened a few months before I left for the Elite Towers." Fitz calmly said in a monotone voice.

"Still! You could have-"

"You made your choice Keefe. I respected that. I have more important things to do right now." Fitz turned around and began walking, motioning for Izzy to follow him. Too confused, and honestly out of options, she did, though she kept her distance.

That girl, Biana, and the angry guy, Keith was it? They knew her too. It couldn't be a coincidence. Something about the way Biana had reacted as well, the way she looked at her now, and at the Gelato shop, it solidified it in her brain. One person could fake it, but so far it seemed like everyone she met knew her. Maybe they really were the keys to her past? Plus, she needed to get away from all of this tension and yelling…

She glanced up at Fitz's eyes, which were filled with unshed tears and hidden pain. Once they were away from this, she would have to apologize, especially for kicking him. But at least, maybe she could trust him now like her gut was always screaming at her to do.

As they walked past tree after tree, Keefe's voice yelled after them, sounding equal parts angry and pathetic.

"I never got to make my choice! You made it for me!"

Izzy watched as Fitz tensed and a tear silently ran down his cheek. So quietly he probably thought she couldn't hear him, he responded.

"…Lie..."

They continued to walk silently, Fitz saying nothing as the tension followed them like a dark, angry storm cloud. Izzy wanted to help, to do or say something, but she didn't know him, didn't know the circumstances. Instead she just tried to focus on herself, and her many problems. How could she fix someone else when she couldn't fix herself? And thus they went, the only sounds being the whistling of the wind in the oddly tall trees, and the thud, thud, thud of their shoes on the dirt.


	15. Moving Forward

Hey guys! Sorry it's been taking me so long to update and thank you all for hanging in there! I'm going to aim for updating once every two weeks! Things have gotten a bit crazy, but I feel like this is a good, realistic place to start! (I can always adjust it if I'm writing faster!) Also a humongous thanks to strawbr'y blond periwinkle love who's review gave me back my motivation and literally saved this whole story! Seriously though, I was on the verge of giving up. Now I'm back, and more motivated than ever! :D (*Sends all the mental hugs*) I won't keep you all any longer. Enjoy the chapter! ^.^

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As the trees went by them, their heavy footsteps thud thudding on the grassy, leaf strewn carpet, Izzy pulled her arms around her. The trees danced as a brisk autumn wing flew through the forest again and again as if it was racing itself. Where ever they were, it was definitely not Venice. She missed the warm, sunlit cobblestone streets, but as least she was safe now, probably. As the wind whipped by them again, whistling an unrecognizable tune, she shivered, hugging herself tighter. Not even a second passed before a large, weighted fabric was draped over her shoulders.

Glancing up Fitz smiled gently back at her, though a sheen of the scar hiding under it was still visible, raw from their encounter with, Keefe was it?

"The weather is a lot different than what you're used to, huh?"

Izzy nodded, hoping she could blame her red cheeks on the wind.

"Are you sure? It's pretty cold…" She pulled the cloak around her, hoping to soak up any warmth she could before handing it back. She wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want him to be cold, or if it was the thought of relying on someone, but it made caterpillars squirm in her stomach, and not the good kind.

Fitz stopped walking, and Izzy followed suit without thinking. He took a step forward, reaching out towards her neck. She flinched, the cloaked figures dancing across her mind.

"Relax." Fitz whispered softly as his fingers latched a gold winged shield like pin onto the cloak, trapping the fabric around her body and away from the wind's freedom. "I wouldn't hurt you Soph, I promise."

His bright, surreal, impossibly teal eyes met hers, causing her whole body to go into panic mode. Did he notice how close they were? How close was it even? Three inches? Four? How would she even measure that? Does he notice? How can he not notice?

Smiling a small, yet incredibly sincere smile which reached his eyes, causing them to twinkle, he took a step back. The icy air that rushed in to fill the hole where he had been standing burned her lungs. Was it that cold before, or was he just _really_ warm?

"Anyway," He turned around gracefully before taking a few steps, only to stop and look back to make sure she followed him.

Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her lips and began walking again.

"I'm used to the weather around here. I don't really need it." He assured her.

It took Izzy a split second to even realize what he was talking about. She glanced over, about to say thank you, when she saw he was shivering.

"It's still really cold though…" Izzy offered, feeling guilty for taking his warmth.

"Really? I mean, it's a bit nippy, but it's kind of nice." His voice quaked as he said it, his shivers worsening.

Izzy picked up her pace as best as she could.

When a massive, glittering mansion arrived in sight, Izzy began questioning her actions. Was it really smart to return to the place she had been kidnapped? No, definitely not, but this nagging hole in her heart forced her forward. The sadness in everyone's eyes and words was too real to be fake, right? Fitz walked a few step in front of her, glancing back every few minutes like he was checking to make sure she wasn't going to run off again.

Izzy sighed as she tugged on a few loose eyelashes, the sparkling palace of a home bringing back thoughts of before. "Sorry I kicked you… and threw things at you."

Fitz gave a shrug, effortlessly falling back a step to meet hers. "I didn't take it personally. It must be hard, with all that's happened."

Izzy didn't respond, the events of the past day flashing through her mind's eyes, stopping on her red headed aunt and Maria's last smile.

"I didn't mean to disrupt your life Soph-" he cleared his throat, as if it could hide his blunder. "Izzy. I would have left you alone if I could, if you were safe there." He must have guessed what she was thinking…

Izzy tore out another eyelash, this one not so loose. Fitz glanced over like he expected her to speak.

She decided to finally break the silence, because she was going to have to sooner or later. None of this was going away anytime soon. Her voice softer than usual, nearly swept up in the crisp wind that raced through the meadow they had entered, she answered him back.

"I… Everything is, different." Izzy stopped walking. "I don't know this place, I don't know why you kidnapped me, and, I don't know your girlfriend. How can you even be sure Sophie and I are the same person?"

Fitz blinked a few times, raising an eyebrow. "I can understand the rest, but girlfriend?"

Izzy shuffled her feet slightly, her legs still sore from lack of use. "Sophie, that's your girlfriend right? Why else would you go to such length to find me-her." She quickly corrected herself, blushing slightly at her mistake. "Plus one of the waitresses at the café said something, I thought…" She quickly added, not even sure anymore if it was her assumption or not. So much had happened these past, however many days.

Fitz smiled, but it didn't reach the sadness sitting in his eyes. "No. We were just kids when you- _she_ disappeared. I've gone to such lengths because, well…"

He ran a hand through his hair a few times and sighed. "We'd better get inside." He took a few steps forward before he noticed she hadn't budged.

"If it has to do with me, I deserve to know, right?"

Fitz's fake smile disappeared, and for a split second she could see a deep pain covering his face before he quickly put on a stone mask, though it still had cracks running along it, showing glimpses of his deeply buried emotions.

"It, was my fault…" He whispered as he kicked the ground. "If I had trusted my instincts, and trusted you, this wouldn't have happened." He looked up, his eyes shining with intensity as they locked with hers. Her heart did a poorly timed flutter. "I wasn't there when you needed me. I should have gone after you. You were my responsibility, and I made a lot of promises to you, and I failed."

She tried to ignore the blush settling on her cheeks as she spoke, her brain spinning much too fast. Something about what he said seemed to poke at her, like an itch she couldn't reach, but he was so sad, and so sincere…

"I forgive you."

He gave a small, hollow chuckle, a smile somehow sitting on his lips. "You don't remember. You can't forgive me until you know what actually happened."

"You said we were kids, right? Well unless you made me disappear, it wasn't your fault. Plus I don't even remember what happened so…"

Fitz bit his lip, once again running his hand through his hair. There was a pause, like he was deciding whether to tell her, like her supposed past was a giant secret she wasn't allowed to know.

"You transmitted to me. I should have trusted you. Even before that I should have been present more. I should have gone after you when you got into a fight with my sister. I should have-"

"Fitz!" She snapped. He froze, meeting her eyes once again, unshed tears and surprise clouding them. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you spend all of your time focused on what you should have done, you'll never get to live! From what I've heard it sounds like you've dedicated years towards finding me. Isn't that enough?-"

"But if I could have preve-"

"No! No could haves! What's happened has happened. Stop blaming yourself! Anyway, I'm not quite in a place to be comforting my kidnapper!"

Sophie began walking towards the palace, or whatever it was. For some reason his depression about the past her made her extremely frustrated and a bit mad. Maybe it was because she would never know what happened, maybe it was because if anyone should have sole moping rights right now, it was her, but it was probably that he saw someone else when he looked at her. The few people she had met here so far had all seen someone else, someone she could and would never be. Sighing, she glanced back, afraid that maybe she had been too hard on him. That's when she noticed Fitz hadn't moved. She turned around, staring for a few seconds as his nearly frozen body.

"…Fitz?... I'm sorry, I-"

"Please." He quietly choked out. "Don't call me that, alright?"

Seeing him so, beaten down and sad made her feel nauseas, and _very_ guilty, not that what she said wasn't true…

"Sorry. I.. won't."

Fitz said nothing, just nodded his head as he quickly began walking. She thought she saw the glimmer of a tear as he passed by, but it was probably just her imagination… right?

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as her brain tried hopelessly to grasp _something_ to say. It wasn't the best the thing to be called, no one was arguing with that, but why did it affect him so badly?

But she never did come up with words, so they walked the rest of the way in silence, Fitz always five steps in front of her. This time he didn't check to make sure she was following him.


	16. Is this a cult?

When they entered the house, walking into what appeared to be a living room, a tall, amazingly beautiful, dark haired woman practically jumped on Izzy from out of nowhere. Flinching, she blushed as a much too girly sounding squeal came out of her mouth. Fitz chuckled slightly from behind her, muttering something about how it never got old.

Izzy ignored him, still not quite sure how to handle their recent talk. Instead she looked up at the woman, unsure if this was an attack or not. She looked like a not much older version of Biana, but with sky blue eyes. Even as she was sobbing, hugging Izzy in a bone crushing grip that sucked the air out of her, she still looked like she was ready to walk down a runway.

"Della, you know the, situation So-Izzy is in right now. We don't want to scare her any more than she already has been." A man's heavily accented voice said, turning sharp at the end.

"I had nothing to do with that part." Fitz angrily mumbled in an identical accent.

"I know." the first voice said, though they still sounded very unhappy.

Della let go of her, pulling away as she smiled at Izzy. "I'm so sorry, as soon as I saw you I completely forgot that you had… well that you had, forgotten." Her soft, flowy, slightly accented voice seemed to dance like the sparkles in her eyes. "I'm so happy you're back! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get adjusted quickly! Oh, we should go out shopping and get you a new wardrobe! I'm sure your old clothes won't fit you anymore! My you've really grown! You're even more beautiful than before, though I expected as much would happen!" She laughed slightly through tears, like a weigh had been lifted. Della wiped her eyes, somehow looking more like a princess in distress than the usual blotchy red faced, snot machine Izzy turned into.

"Umm, mom." Fitz began as he gently pulled Izzy back by the shoulder. "You'll overwhelm her. She's got a lot on her plate right now. I'm sure shopping is probably the last thing she'll want to do."

"M-maybe later though." Izzy shyly smiled. Della flashed a bright smile back, making Izzy feel like crying. Della reminded her of the moms she always saw on tv. Beautiful, kind, generous with hugs, always willing to take their daughters shopping or give advice. She didn't even know this woman, but it still tugged at her heart. She hadn't truly realized how badly she had wanted a mom, or how much she had needed a hug, until that moment. Aunt Cassy was a guardian, but she was always distant, seeming almost afraid to touch her, and Izzy could never tell her everything. It was so… different.

A tall man, who looked like Fitz's older identical twin took a step forward and put a hand on Della's shoulder. "Izzy, this is my wife, Della. My name is Alden, I'm Fitz and Biana, his sister's, father. I'm sorry you had such a… rough journey here. I can assure you that will _not_ be a regular occurrence. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities, later. For now we should focus on getting you set up here."

Izzy opened her mouth, tempted to argue that she had a right to ask questions, or maybe even ask how they could possibly have been old enough to have Fitz, but her exhausted brain was still spinning from the past day's events, and the phrase, "getting you set up _here_ " replayed in her head.

"I'll be staying here?"

Alden smiled, "If you want."

She blushed slightly. Stay _here_?! This place was like a castle, and unlike the usually vacant apartment she grew up in, it seemed… alive. She could almost imagine people running through the rooms laughing, or someone waiting for them to get back from school, or meals steaming on a table, homemade and waiting to be eaten instead of the usually half cold microwave meals she was so used to. Could she be so lucky? The thought that she was an idiot for even _wanting_ to stay in a place she was kidnapped to crossed her mind, but her brain was too tried to process it. It was so warm and happy in here. And her cloak, _Fitz's_ cloak, it was like walking around with a weighted blanket that smelled like a mixture between a roaring fire, pumpkin pie, and the Ralph Lauren cologne Maria always used to fuss over.

"Yes!" She enthusiastically yelled. "I-I mean, I would really like that..."

Della laughed slightly. "Perfect! We'll go shopping tomorrow!"

Alden raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, maybe the day after that. Once you have your strength back!"

Izzy's smile vanished as she awkwardly shuffled her feet, pulling out a loose eyelash and flicking it to the floor in the process. "Umm…" She _really_ didn't want to have to tell them…

"What's wrong?" Alden asked, his brow creasing in worry.

"I, um, don't have any money…"

Alden, Della, even Fitz, smiled. She glanced between the three of them. Was she missing something?...

"I believe this is yours." Alden reached into his cloak's pocket before holding out a clasped hand. Izzy held her hand out as well, and he dropped a tiny blue cube into it.

She stared at it with confusion until he chuckled. Blushing slightly with embarrassment, she really wished she wasn't the only one who didn't know.

"It holds your birth fund. All the money you should ever need is in that cube. You just scan it to buy something, and it deducts it right away. This is a new one, since your old one was… lost."

Izzy stared at the cube. "My… what?" What country was this again?

"Your birth fund!" Della smiled. "All elves have one!"

Izzy stared blankly at her palm, her head spinning as her words entered her brain. If this was a cartoon, smoke would have been coming out of her ears.

"My…what?" She choked. "Elves… Elves..."

"You did tell her, right?" Alden hesitantly asked Fitz.

He opened his mouth, closed it, and slowly shook his head.

Izzy turned the cube around in her fingers and sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true. What was I thinking? I'm probably on some wackatarian commune."

"A… what?" Fitz asked, confusion etched on his face for once.

She sat the cube on a nearby end table with a klack. "You don't drink purple koolaid, do you?" The three "elves" stared back at her with a look of pure befuddlement, Della and Alden sharing a look in the process. Obviously, they didn't get the half joke half serious concern.

Izzy turned and made her way to the door, muttering "should have run while I had the chance," though she knew she wouldn't have made it far.


	17. But you don't make cookies?

"So… I'm an elf."  
"Right." Fitz smiled at her, making her heart jump.

Izzy sighed as she took another piece of mallowmelt Della had freshly baked while Fitz attempted to explain.

"…And you're an elf."

"Correct."

"But you don't wear pointed shoes, _or_ make cookies?"

Fitz laughed. "No. We've gone over this, now _and_ in the past."

Izzy took a bite, letting the Mallowmelt melt on her tongue, coating the sour taste in her mouth with oozing amazingness before she replied. "So, why was I hidden in the Forbidden Cities?"

"We never found out."

Izzy pulled on an eyelash as she sighed. This was all so complicated. It just, didn't seem real. And yet there was _still_ something they weren't telling her. She could feel it. But, maybe it was better this way. To try and process it so she wasn't overloaded. She already felt like falling asleep in the chair.

"Sweetie, if you never kick that habit, how will you ever wear masquera?" Della sang as she pulled Izzy's hand away from her eye. "And they frame your eyes so well! They really make them pop! Don't you think Fitz?"

Fitz glanced over, staring into her eyes as her cheeks burst into flames. He shrugged and took a long slurp of his lushberry juice.

 _That's_ great for confidence.

Della took Izzy's arm and put it next to a line of color swatches on the kitchen table. Izzy was used to being part dress up doll, though she was never this willing to with Maria… Maybe if she had known…

"So do you still have any questions?" Fitz asked.

"Umm…" She had a million, no a billion, but where was she supposed to even start? She pulled out another eyelash with her free hand, flicked it away, and focused on the one she had struggled with her whole life.

"My parents… are, are they really, dead?"

Izzy's arm dropped, causing her to jump.

"Who would tell you such a thing?!" Della cried, fury in her eyes.

Fitz who had jumped just as much as Izzy, shifted in his seat before refocusing back on Izzy. "No, they-"

"You poor thing! Of course they aren't dead!" Della interrupted as she dashed around the table and swooped up Izzy up into a hug. "Well, I guess with where you've been, you wouldn't know. But still!"

"Mom…" Fitz started as Izzy smiled brightly back at Della, her heart swelling with emotions as she forced tears back.

"Yes, yes, I know. Questions." Della rolled her sky blue eyes and smiled at Izzy before releasing her and making her way back to her cloth pile.

"You're parents are alive." Fitz said in a very serious manner. If she wasn't repeating the words over and over in her head, trying to soak them in and actually believe it, she would find his demeanor rather funny in contrast to his mother's dramatics. "How much do you remember about them?"

Izzy rummaged into her pockets, quickly pulling out the crumpled picture. She carefully took it, laid it on the table, and gently flattened it out.

"This is all I know. That and what my aunt told me, though I know now that was all a lie…" Her voice caught as the end, a sting in her heart still making it's way through the joy.

Fitz looked at her, putting his hand close to it as if to ask permission. She nodded and he gingerly picked it up, gasping when he saw it.

"What? What?!" She panicked. A sickening thought crossed her mind, that it had all been a lie too, or maybe even a photo taken out of an old picture frame. But she couldn't believe it. The thought that they could be alive, out there searching for her, it had kept her going through the chaos. And after all the late nights staring at it, pretending they were there, memorizing their faces… If her parents weren't them…

He nodded his head and sat the picture back on the table, interrupting her thoughts. "Nothing." He tried to smile nonchalantly, but there was something there…

"Let me see." Della walked over from her piles of colors, her dress swishing along the way. When she picked it up she gasped, nearly dropping the picture.

"What?!" Izzy cried, desperate to get her picture back so she wouldn't have a heart attack if was injured in any way.

"Nothing dear." Della fake smiled as she handed Izzy back her picture. "I have to go make a call, I'll be right back."

Izzy watched her leave before snapping her attention back to Fitz.

"You know something."

He hesitated, as if he wanted to pretend it wasn't true. Sighing, he got up from his chair. "I do, but I can't tell you, not yet. But the people in this picture, they are alive and well. I promise."

Izzy sighed in relief, until she noticed the error with his wording. She tried to swallow her next question down, wishing it could free the lump in her throat that made it feel like it was closing in, but it didn't help.

"Are, are they… my parents?" She whispered, the room spinning as the realization that it was probably was just another lie sunk in.

One again he hesitated. It felt like the room would be split apart by the silence, like her life would end if she heard the answer. But she was stuck at a point of no return, and now she wasn't even sure if she _wanted_ to know.

And then he opened his mouth, and she knew everything would be ok.

"Yes."


	18. It's a Promise

I just wanted to thank you guys for being so patient and cheering me on! It means a lot. 3 So, as my thank you, a happy, uplifting chapter with fluff and story progression! Yay! :D Enjoy~

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Izzy tried to take deep breaths, but it felt like her throat was collapsing in on her. Her heart was beating even faster than when she first met Fitz, which was already much faster than should be healthy. She could hear the blood rushing through her head as panic ran through her veins. Once again everything was moving way too fast, but there was nothing she could do to change it. No, she _could_ , but it was her choice. For what felt like the hundredth time she reached up to pull out another eyelash.

A large, very warm hand wrapped around hers, causing her to jump.

"Sorry." Fitz whispered back. Could he feel the silence crushing the room too? He pulled her hand down, interlacing his fingers with hers as he rested his hand on the bed. "It's going to be ok. I promise."

She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through. "I- you can't promise that." She squeaked.

He smiled empathetically. "No, you're right. I can't promise everything's going to be ok. But I can promise they are going to be _so_ happy to see you."

"But what if they're not." She choked out as hot tears began to run down her ice cold cheeks. "What if they don't want a defective daughter who doesn't even remember them?"

She tried to fight back the sobs that threatened to escape from her lips, but it was useless. She was tired of fighting, tired of just surviving. Why couldn't she just be normal for once? To actually live? Instead she felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out.

Fitz didn't seem to know what to do at first, and she didn't blame him. He helped her, brought her here, had his mom arrange for her parents to come to his house, and yet here she was, doubled over on a bed sobbing. But he still pulled her back up, wrapped his arms around her, and muttered that it would be alright this time, whatever that meant. She buried her head into his chest, wishing it would silence the stupid sobs that kept coming and kept coming. But she couldn't stop crying. The biggest dream she had ever had, the one thing she had always wanted, was probably downstairs in Fitz's living room. How could she even face them? It was like meeting a dragon for the first time and finding out it was really just a tiny gecko all along. Once she stepped past that line, watched the dream shatter, it could never be put back together again. And all she would be left with is cold, harsh, broken reality.

Was is worth it?

After she had "hailed them on their imparter," or whatever that meant, Della had told her all about them, and they sounded amazing. But still…

"Izzy." Fitz leaned back slightly, meeting her blotchy red, tear stained eyes. "You know you don't have to do this right now. It can wait. They'll understand, but I know they want you in their lives, just like you want them in yours."

Izzy pulled out another eyelash, flicking it off the bed. She tried to form words, but the tears blurred her vision and thoughts. She opened her mouth, but ended up closing it again, only to repeat the action.

"They will wait for you if that's what you want." He whispered, his eyes extra intense, sending her already queasy stomach into unwanted somersaults.

She closed her eyes, his eyes only muddling her mind further. She went to nod, but something stopped her, this small nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that it was time to take control of her situation and be brave; to stop running.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. He was still staring right back at her, waiting patiently for her answer like he had forever.

"No." She quietly breathed before strengthening her voice. "No. I, I want to meet them."

He nodded his head, concern evident in her eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

She nodded a bit too rapidly.

He smiled a small, yet incredibly charming smile back at her before standing up. He offered her his hand, smiling even brighter.

"I think you'll be glad you did this Izzy."

She shook her head again, though it was absentmindedly. The doubts eating at her heart and brain like a cancer were getting strong, and if she was going to do it, it needed to be now. She took Fitz's hand and he pulled her onto her feet.

As he led her to the door of her bedroom, she was tempted to worry about the fact that her face was undoubtedly covered in red splotches, or that her clothes were the same old, winkled, human clothing she had fallen asleep in in an alleyway next to trash, or that she was covered in sweat like a sticky cold blanket. But the images from the past two days filled her brain, and after all she had been through, everything she had survived and overcome, it somehow didn't matter. Only one thing stuck to her head as she crossed the doorway.

"Do you think they will hug me?"

Fitz turned around, smiling the biggest, brightest smile she had ever seen. "Now that I can promise."

"I'll hold you to it." Izzy smiled back, a weight lifting off her heart.


	19. Home

Izzy stood at the top of the stairs. Her hand was turning white from the force of her fear. Fitz was halfway down the stairs, causing the hushed voices below to freeze. Izzy tried to breath, her lungs somehow unable to capture any air. The world was spinning. Was she really going to do this? Of course! She needed to. She deserved to. And yet if felt like her one year check up, when her aunt had to carry her kicking and screaming back into the hospital. But she was younger then. She couldn't break down and have a fit. She had to be _brave_. She pulled out an itchy eyelash, washing as it floated down the steps, making more progress than herself.

Someone asked where she was, it sounded like Della. Fitz made a reply, though her brain was spinning too fast to understand. She saw his bright teal eyes flash as the he glanced up at her before made his way back towards her frozen body..

"Are you ok?" He whispered, glancing towards his mother's hushed voice before searching her face. His face seemed too close, but so did the walls, the ceiling, her lungs, everything.

"Pull me down."

His face contorted in confusion. "I'm, sorry?"

"I'm not ok." She choked out between ragged, rapid breaths. "Pull me down." She held out her hand, feeling like a weight was attached to it, as if she would sink into the ground if he didn't help her.

He seemed understand though, because wordlessly he took her hand and half dragged her down the ornate staircase.

The wall separating their view disappeared, but she forced herself to not look for them. A few more seconds of fantasy and she would be ok. At least that was what she told herself. She could hear a gasp, a muffled squeak of disbelief. At least two people jumped up. She still didn't look, letting her hair cover her eyes. Somehow this was much, _much_ worse than the hospital. It felt like her heart was burst at any second, maybe literally. Fear and panic and confusion and despair and everything all at once froze her feet to the carpet.

"Izzy." Fitz muttered.

She met his eyes, which were flooded with concern, and even more so, determination. She hoped he didn't notice that hers were filled with unbearable, impossible fear. He leaned closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, causing her cheeks to burst into flames.

 _Thanks Fitz_. She muttered in her head as he put a hand on her shoulder. At least there was no way her heart could beat any harder…

"Don't be afraid." He whispered with a smile. Then, without a chance for her to reply, she realized why he was so determined. Suddenly she was facing the two people of her dreams, Fitz's hands leaving her shoulders.

She was pretty sure she squeaked, but it was hard to remember after the exact two faces from the pictures stared back at her. Every detail, every curve and edge, their smiles, they were exactly the same as she had imagined. _It wasn't a lie_. Her dream, her nightly wish upon the stars, they were true. She stood there watching them for what felt like a lifetime, and they did exactly the same. Then all too fast she was trapped in a giant, breathtaking hug.

In a blur of tears and sobs, and swirling emotions of warmth and comfort and belonging, she had a family.

Soon they were all sitting down at the dining table. Fitz sat across from her, giving her a knowing smile that seemed to say _I told you so_ while Della sat out the plates. Izzy was _starving_ , but… too much had happened to _really_ be hungry. In two days she had lost her aunt, her childhood best friend, been a fugitive, was kidnapped, met a strange boy who told her she was an elf, and gained the family she had always dreamed of.

She glanced over at Grady, no, her _dad_. He looked like an action movie star, half young Sean Connery, half Robin Hood. His hair was exactly the same as hers. Edaline was just as beautiful with long, wavy amber hair and turquoise eyes. Izzy could find anything obvious she had inherited from her mom, but maybe she had gotten other traits. Her smile or her laugh? The way she seemed to light up a room? Definitely not her grace. But as the food came out, she decided not to worry too much about it. She all the time in the world to figure it out now.

The food was… strange. She ended up relying on everyone else's recommendations, which was utter chaos. Biana, who had entered in the midst of the hugging and crying, suggested the pink and purple spotted mush, while Fitz convinced Izzy to eat a dark blue wobbly jello like substance. Grady declared that the dark green and red striped tubers were his favorite, and Edaline just seemed to want to make sure Izzy got enough to eat. But through all of the chaos, the talking and laughing, and sour and spicy and sweet mush which was surprisingly amazing, and even the plate dropping, Izzy felt like crying. Luckily no tears would come out. She didn't want everyone to see tears, because she wasn't sad. In fact, she was happier than she had ever been. For the first time in forever she had the family she had dreamed of. No more nights sitting alone in the dark living room/kitchen in front of the tv, eating freezer burnt, half cooked microwave meals and pretending she lived in the shows. For once she believed she was an elf, because how else would this place feel so… perfect. The whole in her heart filled by all of the noises around her, filling it until it ceased to exist. She still had a _lot_ of questions, but if her life was going to be like this for now on, she could handle it.

Finally, she knew she was home.


	20. Not Alone

Chapter Number 20! Wow! I'd say this is a milestone! :D We are only starting to get to the end of the very beginning as well! Next chapter is going to be very interesting I'm sure! (In a good way!) I'm going to go start writing it now! 3 :3

Ps. You guys are all awesome! Thank you for reading my story, even if you don't comment! It's such a strange feeling to know people are reading these words I'm typing on a page. I'm incredibly happy I got up the courage to start posting. I also loved getting to talk to several of you this past week! :D It really motivates me to write more!

And for you SoKeefe people out there I was challenged to do a first kiss one shot so look for that within the next week! ^.^

To celebrate 20 chapters, you can challenge me to do a oneshot for any ship! Just tell me the couple and the circumstance! For example, first kiss, first date, confession, base quest turned accidental confession, potion gone wrong, anything you can think up! Just make sure it's appropriate and not a creepy ship. Creepy as in adults being involved (unless shipped with another adult) or pretty much anything involving Fintan. Also lgbtqa+ and brotps are accepted as well. For brotps make sure you specific it's platonic though or else I won't write it that way haha! Also I don't accept poly ships because I'm not poly/have any experience with that, so I feel like I wouldn't be able to give it an accurate representation.

In addition if you're shy or want to send multiple ones and don't want me to know (send as many as you want, even if they are the same ship a bunch of times! 3 ), you can do it through anon ask on Tumblr. My url is MiraculousKeeperoftheWorld

But without further ado, the next chapter! :)

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The rest of the night went by in a blur. Even though their reunion was warm and fuzzy and amazingly perfect, she still didn't know how to act around her parents, or even what to call them. Alden sent Izzy with Biana to find some pajamas while he talked to Grady and Edaline, but something still seemed… off. The tugging feeling in her gut told her to stay, to investigate, but he had promised her everything was alright. What were his exact words? "No need to worry." She didn't quite believe him, but she was too tired to really care. Her head had been overloaded with information, and if she had to wait another day to figure out more… well that wasn't too bad. All she wanted now was a shower and some sleep. Biana highly suggested she started with the former, offering her own.

Izzy rushed through it, more focused on getting twigs out of her hair and dirt off of her face than caring which of the twenty different perfumed shampoos hit her hair or what affect they had. When she stepped out, wrapped tightly in a towel that must have been made from bunnies or clouds, she saw her face for the first time in… weeks? The last time she saw her reflection was in the waterways of Venice, her home city. So… a few days…. She fought to ignore the sharp pangs that ripped at her heart at the thought of what was. And then it hit her.

 _She could never go back._

Her home was no longer hers.

Her family was no longer there.

They wanted her _dead_.

Her own aunt, her uncles, they were never her family.

No.

 _They were her kidnappers, her night terrors._

And then she saw her face in the mirror. Scraped up, a bruise on the side of her forehead from where she had hit it against her bedframe _that night_ as her aunt dragged her towards her fate. But that wasn't what distracted her. No, her eyes, the color of hot chocolate and sprinkled with golden flecks, they weren't hers. They looked… older, worn, like someone fifty years her elder was standing in front of her.

Maybe it was just the lack of sleep, or a hallucination, but in that instant she felt utterly disconnected. Some familiar stranger staring back at her as they cried over a past that felt like an old, bad movie she watched once long ago.

This wasn't her.

 _She_ wasn't her.

She tried to take steady, even breaths as the weight of the past two days crashed upon her. She'd never let herself mourn her loses, or even think about them. But in the silence of the bathroom, it became harder and harder to hold herself together.

And then Biana knocked on the door, and somehow she found the strength to shove it back in whatever bottle like hole in her heart it came from.

"I've decided between three different outfits," Biana started as Izzy splashed cold water on her face. She _was not_ going to look weak, or cause anymore awkward silences. God was she over the awkwardness and pitying glances.

"I think the gold and lilac one would really bring out your eyes and skin. Oh, but it's really you're decision of course! Hmm, but this dark blue and teal one could look _really_ good. Oh but this ruby one…"

Izzy glanced at herself in the mirror, avoiding her eyes as she peeked just long enough to make sure her emotions weren't too obvious. Her face was still red, but she could blame that on the shower. Then she took a deep breath, opened the door, and put on a fake smile.

"I'll try on whichever ones you want me to." She slowly enunciated, careful not to let her voice shake. "Thank you for helping me with this Biana."

Biana gave her a look, her smile disappearing for a split second before being plastered back on even brighter. "Uh, sure! Let's start with this one!"

Was it obvious?

Izzy walked down the spiral staircase in the center of the house, a different, much more open one than Fitz had brought her down just a few hours before. She would have to thank him for that. She tugged slightly on the lilac pajamas with gold trim, feeling even more out of place without her jeans and t-shirt. They were so much fancier than anything she had ever worn before, with intricate flower beading out of what looked like amethysts on her side. They swished slightly as she walked, all most like they were trying to mock her existence in this new world. Soft mummers, a much more appealing sound, floated from below, and she let her ears lead her towards them. The voices came from the kitchen, and as she made her way to the door, she could tell they were both heavily accented.

"I still don't like this." Fitz mumbled into a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

"Don't like what?" Izzy asked as Alden and he looked up.

"Sophie, you were so quiet you could rival Della." Alden joked, smiling to cover up his slight jump.

Obviously he hadn't seen her fall on her face for no good reason yet…

"Is this about me?" Izzy looked back and forth between the two. Fitz made a slight grunt before turning his head away from his dad, obviously a bit mad.

"There's no reason to worry."

"That wasn't what I asked." She frowned.

"It's just a family matter. Nothing I am at liberty to discuss at this moment."

"Oh. Sorry." Izzy began to ramble, cursing herself for being so paranoid, though she had a good reason… "I didn't mean to- I figured with everything that's been going on…"

"Don't worry about it Izzy." Fitz smiled, sliding another mug to the empty seat on his side. Izzy blushed and took the seat, wishing her heart could be logical for once. She really didn't need to deal with _more_ emotions. Though she didn't hate it… Taking a small, hesitant sip of the drink, she found it was a lot like hot chocolate. Except the foam on top and the steam rising from it were _marshmallows_! Or at least that's what they tasted and smelled like. She took a big gulp of the drink, with seemed to fill her with this soft, spending a rainy morning in your bed or roasting marshmallows over a campfire kind of warmth.

"Sophie," Alden started as he sat down across from her. She cringed at the name, though he didn't seem to notice. "I talked to your parents, and you're going to stay here for a week or so. There is a lot we need to consider now that you're back. You will, of course, move in with them after that, but we decided it would be an easier transition this way."

Even with the tingly heat spreading to her toes and fingers as she finished another large sip, her heart still dropped. "They were ok with that?" She tried to say it in a happy manner, like it was a normal occurrence, but it had been five years. They probably thought she was dead, and she didn't remember them at all. And they were still ok with her living without them for another week when she could be getting to know them again? Fitz must have noticed because he placed a hand on her shoulder. She stared at her hot chocolate, trying to push down the rising heat of a different sort in her cheeks and the dripping despair in her heart.

"Of course they weren't ok with it. It took me almost an hour to talk them into it, and it wasn't easy. They'll be by every day to visit you until you go back home. But, until then, we'll work on making sure you're safe and transitioning you into our world more easily. You coming back doesn't mean anything if you aren't well protected."

Izzy nodded, trying to ignore the compassion and mistiness in Alden's eyes. It was… odd, so many people she barely knew caring so much about her. She was pretty sure she would never get used to it. She also couldn't help hearing the word _home_ bouncing off of the walls of her brain. A _home_ , a _mom and dad_ , what would that even be like? Scenes of tv shows began to flash through her head. And then a new thought sprung up. Did she have siblings?

Alden nodded back, smiling, and break through her thoughts. "Then Fitz, I'll let you show," he cleared his throat, " _Izzy_ , to her room." He turned his gaze back to her. "Tomorrow we'll work on getting you more accustomed to your new surroundings. I'm sure you have many questions."

As the thought of a giant ice spike in allies of Venice pricked her mind, she went to open her mouth, but thought better of it. She didn't need any more to think about tonight. It was already going to be tough enough to be alone as it was…

Sighing, she got up, mentally preparing herself for the unavoidable as the memory forced her emotions into a tornado that swirled around her heart, ready to break out first chance.

Fitz asked her if she was done with her cup, she just nodded. There were a few sips left, but her stomach had turned to acid. He put the cups in the sink before leading her back upstairs, making idle chit chat as they walked, but she didn't hear anything he said. Her mind was already started to sink into the knot of memories and emotions she had been shoving away.

Fitz opened the door for her and without another word she collapsed into bed, not even bothering to get ready. Fitz said something else, and shut the door behind him.

The darkness quickly engulfed the room, filling her thoughts with cloaked figures. And then the faces behind the ghostly phantoms, their actual forms, the white eyes on their arms. _They were real._ The walls she had built up, the events of the past two days, the grief she had stored away for later, it all came crashing down.

She shoved her face into her pillow, trying to muffle her the violent sobs that tore at her body, sending a silent plea to the universe that no one would hear it or find her like this. She wanted them to see her as brave, strong, powerful. Every day since she woke up from her coma, or so she was told, five whole years, she had been pitied, and all it felt like was more and more weight thrown on her shoulders. For once she just wanted to be normal. But now elves and magic and her greatest nightmares existed. And now she was even more of a freak than she had started as.

But then the door opened up again, blinding light streaming into every corner of the room. A tall figure walked in, and then the light faded away.

But for some reason, it wasn't as bad. She was covered in tears and drool and probably snot, her sobs were so load she was certain he could hear them from the hall, but just having someone there, not being left alone in a dark room, waiting for the sun to rise like she always had, it made her feel better. Safer.

Maybe… it wasn't so bad to _not_ be alone.


	21. Bottled Up

I'm sorry. There will be less agnst as the story goes on! Promise 3 Well, I'm pretty sure. Sort of. Though you might be agnst monsters and want more heartache. At least it's always happy agnst! XD

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"Woah." Fitz muttered from somewhere near the door as Izzy sobbed into her pillow. "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay." He quickly whispered as he fast walked to the side of her bed. She turned her face, burying it further into the soft, cloud, half wishing it would smother her.

Fitz sighed, a soft thud on the carpet following it before her wrapped his hand around hers, making her jumped.

"Sorry." He mumbled, giving it a light squeeze.

She shrugged, though he probably couldn't see it from under the giant comforter. As his warmth seeped into her fingers, her sobs became louder and louder until she was sure the whole house could hear her crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Fitz gently whispered. "You don't have to, or you can wait if it would help. I'm not going anywhere."

Izzy squeezed his hand in a silence thank you before choking out her words through sobs. "I-no, b-but, my family, my home, I- I don't know who I am, and then- ice! _Ice!_ And Maria, she could be dead. And it's, my fault! And my Aunt, and my uncles- I- who even are they. I, I want to go back! But then, my parents, and they're there, and I'm, here. And I'll never be Sophie!" She shoved her head further into the pillow, a small part of her brain was beyond embarrassed, but the sadness and angry and confusion and fear were too strong. She felt like she was stuck in an endless, ever changing maze made of cold, black ice that she could never hope to escape.

Fitz tried to start several different sentences in an effort to comfort her, but he always ended them much too short. Instead he sat next to her, running a hand through his hair as he sighed.

"Izzy… I'm sorry. When I was younger, I thought _if only I was older_ I would _finally_ know what to say to you to make things better. But I'm just as lost, and once again you're stuck mourning a life _I_ ripped you away from. And I'm still no help. I seem to only be good at putting you in trouble or pain… I'm so sorry Izzy."

Izzy turned her head, facing him, though she couldn't see more than his silhouette through the darkness. "I.." She started, before a sentence stuck out to her, gnawing on her brain like a pesky and unwelcomed rodent. "What do you mean _once again_. What life did you rip me away before?"

She could feel his hand growing a bit clammy as he cleared his throat. "I…" He sighed again. "Izzy, I could make up some lie that you would probably see right through, or tell you the truth and give you more to cry or worry about, but I don't want to do either. Right now I'm not allowed to tell you, just as I'm not allowed to tell you a lot of things. _Yet_. I promise I'll tell you later, but right now don't you have enough to worry about?"

Izzy frowned as her eyelashes began to itch. She wanted to know, she _needed_ to know. But… "You _promise_ you'll tell me."

"Promise."

"Alright, I'll let it go, for now." She had a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that she could have had another, different life. It was too scary and too hard, like she had tiny, jagged glass daggers sitting in her brain where the thought was born. But he was right, she had enough to worry about. Closing her burning eyes, she took a deep breath and carefully pushed them to some dark corner where she could deal with it later.

And then it was silent. Fitz didn't make another sound, and Izzy tried to take deep breaths to calm herself as she ran out of tears. What felt like an hour passed in that heavy, dark silence before Fitz stood up, letting of her hand.

"Would you like some Slumberberry tea? It will help you fall asleep."

Izzy's nose crinkled as she gave a look of disgust and sat up. "It's not a sedative, is it? I really, _really_ don't like sedatives."

Fitz shook his head. "No, it's more like a medicine. It's not that bad, really." He added as her face contorted again. "It's completely harmless. I drink it every night, can't sleep without it."

It was tempting, but… She shook her head. "No sedatives. I've had enough of those to last a lifetime.

A mixture of fear, concern, and rage passed over Fitz's features, but just like the shadows dancing across his features, they vanished so quickly she was sure she had imagined it.

"What does that mean?" He spoke a bit too quietly.

Izzy flicked away an itchy eyelash. "Well, after the car accident, they had to put me in a medically induced coma. But I still remember flashes of it, the way the stuff burned my lungs and throat, and stuck to my tongue." She shuddered, hugging her legs to her chest. "I don't want to be trapped like that again…" She muttered, almost regretting the words as they fell from her lips. She didn't want to show anyone her weak, vulnerable side, but it was hard not to with everything going on, especially around him. She hated the affect he had on her, like she couldn't help but tell him everything, but it was also sort of nice…

Fitz was oddly quiet. She glanced up, almost concerned he wasn't there. But he was.

Rage unlike any she had even seen filled his eyes like poison to a sponge, and the way the shadows sat across his cheeks, his teal eyes almost glowing in the dim light from the moon outside, made him look like some sort of evil, indestructible super villain with a plot to destroy the world. He was looking straight at her, but he didn't seem to actually see her. Forcing down a slight shudder, she rubbed the scars on her arm, not sure how to react.

As soon as she moved, he snapped out of his trace like state. Running a hand through his hair a few times, he mumbled an apology before his eyes glanced a bit too long at her arm. She tried to nonchalantly hide them under the blanket.

He walked over biting his lip in an adorable, belongs-in-a-catalogue way and sat heavily on the bed next to her with a mix between a grunt and a sigh.

"Can I see them?" He spoke with a kind, quiet voice, that was just barely audible.

Izzy held her breath and thrust her arms out before she had a chance to think. Carefully holding up her right arm, she could feel his eyes boring into it. Or so she thought.

"I'm not going to hurt you Izzy." He whispered. She hadn't realized she had her eyes slammed shut until that moment. Shyly opening them, wishing her fear wasn't so obvious, she found his eyes staring right into hers. A shudder ran down her spine as her heart started doing stupid flips, making her want to reach into her chest and yell at it for having the worse timing _ever_.

She glanced away from him before muttering back. "I know."

He put one hand over her scar, making her jump.

"Sorry, you really don't like having them touched I guess. I shouldn't have pushed you to."

She shook her head. "It's fine. I have to get over it someday. They aren't exactly going away and I can't wear long sleeves forever."

Fitz made a sort of grunt in response as he slowly dropped her arm. He muttered something that sounded a lot like _monster_.

"I'll go make some Slumberberry tea. You don't have to drink it, but it's nice to have options." He stood up and began making his way to the door.

"What?!" She choked out, dazed and confused and hurt, her heart pounding against her chest even faster as her thoughts spun in her head aimlessly. He couldn't mean...

Fitz glanced back, blinking a few times. "Izzy, I know you don't like sedatives. You don't have to drink it. I just thought, in case you change your mind-"

"You said monster. Who." She blankly said, her head spinning faster.

His eyes grew as realization dawned on him. "No, Izzy, I didn't mean you. I wouldn't _never_ mean you. I meant-"

He shook his head, all but running over to her before wrapping her in a too tight hug.

"Sorry." He mumbled over and over.

This time she shook her head, a blush creeping up her cheeks at how close he was. "It's fine. I assumed. I should have known you would never say something like that. I just- people have said similar things, I guess-:

As hot, wet, salty tears fell on her cheek, she silently cursed herself for crying. She wasn't even sad, just… tired. So. incredibly. tired. But then, as a tiny sob slipped through the air, she realized they weren't hers at all.

"Fitz?" She whispered.

"Sorry." He choked out. "Sorry, I shouldn't be crying. I just- that you had to go through that- I couldn't save you. I should have been there."

She wasn't sure what he was talking about. No, part of her had already realized, enough pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. But she didn't want to know. The truth was, she couldn't handle it, not now. Pushing the truth away, she wrapped her arms around him, her eyes beginning to burn again from lack of tears.

"It's ok. I'm safe now, right? You did that." She whispered as his hug tightened and his tears sped up. Then, he tried to let go, but this time she was the one who hugged him tighter, keeping him in place.

"You don't want me to bottle it up. Well what about you."

He didn't respond, just returned the hug and muttered another apology.


	22. A Dark Storm Cloud Approaches

Izzy' eyes slowly opened, the bright sun blinding her vision. Groaning and covering her face, she rolled over, wishing she could flip a light switch and turn off the sun. A slight movement near the other side of the bed caught her attention, forcing her to realize where she was. Sitting up and glancing around the room, she couldn't be sad she had left everything behind. Her chest still tightened at the thought of what was, but for some reason, it hurt less, like someone had stuck a box of bandages on her heart. She still felt strange, like her insides were crawling from too many super sour and sweet gummy worms, and she knew it would take a while to fully heal, but maybe she could get through this.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled back the covers, silently stepping onto the plush carpet as she walked towards the end of the bed and glanced over the side. Fitz, who had insisted he sleep on the floor, was surprising in a deep slumber even as large wall of windows brilliant light shone directly on his face. He was tangled up in a blanket, like he had had a nightmare; his pillow halfway across the room and his sleep bag nearly under the bed. The only thing in place was a bright red sparkly dragon wrapped tightly in one arm. She had a feeling she wasn't supposed to see that, but it just made her smile grow. His face was calm, like he was finally not worrying about anything, maybe even dreaming. He looked adorable, and beyond tired, and surprisingly helpless. Something… flashed. Suddenly she could see what he looked like when he was younger, teal eyes shining happily as he gave her a movie star smile that melted her heart.

 _Sophie_.

Izzy forced a gasp back. Did she… just remember something? No, that wasn't possible. She couldn't remember because-… because… what? Stifling a sigh, she realized how ridiculous a thought it was. Her eyes met several pictures around the room, a young Fitz staring back at her. They had been there the whole time in plain sight, and _that_ name, it meant nothing.

She shook the thoughts from her head and pushed away the strange burst of fear before quietly sneaking out of the room and down the stairs. Maybe she just needed some food. At least it would help her think.

Standing in the empty kitchen, the house unusually quiet, Izzy sighed and looked for anything that resembled a fridge. So far no luck.

"Hey Foster. Nice pjs." A deep, confident voice said from behind her, causing her to jump a foot in the air with a squeak.

"Woah" Keefe put his hands up in defense as she whipped around. "You're wound pretty tight. Let me guess, Golden Boy turns out to be super annoying, am I right? You should come live with me instead." He winked, causing a blush to fly through her cheeks.

"Umm, uh…" Izzy mumbled as she glanced around. Was he even supposed to be here? And how did she respond to something like _that_.

Keefe laughed, waving the air in front of his face. "Relax Foster, I was just joking. Geez, it's a good thing I came here to save you! You really are in dire need of _awesome_."

"Save me? I don't need saving. I'm fine." Izzy stammered as she crossed her arms, frowning at him as she fought the urge to tug on a particularly itchy eyelash. She wasn't used to this world yet, in fact she still wasn't convinced that it was even real, but at least where she was from really cute boys didn't start popping out of the ground like carrots, or sneak up behind her in kitchens.

"You haven't left this house yet, right?" There's so much more to this world! And I'm here to show you." Keefe gave a wicked grin before stepping forward in an overexaggerated bow and offering his hand out, reminding her of Prince Charming from Cinderella.

Izzy took a step back, still a bit in shock. Her brain was sputtering to work through it's half asleep daze and confusion. It also didn't help that how straight forward and carefree he was reminded her of Maria... She didn't want to trust him, it was illogical and how most murder shows seemed to start, but she couldn't ignore the memory of his ice blue eyes strangled with sadness under the trees… If it was just that, she would probably still run away that very second yelling something about stranger danger, but her mind couldn't help but remember the sadness in Maria's eyes when they parted…

"Miss F, do you really think stuffy Alden and his living not-so-tiny clone are going to let you leave anytime soon? Now's your chance! And you've got the best tour guide around." He gave another wink. "So, are you going to sit here like the goodie two shoes we both secretly know you are, or are you going to prove me wrong and seize the moment?!"

He meant it as a motivational speak, it was obvious the way his eyes shined, but all it changed was one raised eyebrow, leaving him in slight shock as his brain turned to create a new plan. To leave the house and see the rest of this… world did he call it? It was beyond tempting, and it would prove once and for all if any of this was even real; because a guy like Fitz didn't exist in real life, right? In fact, none of them would exist in her world… And Keefe would definitely not be talking to her. Plus, he couldn't be _bad_. He was friends with Biana after all. And yet, after everything Fitz and his family had done for her, to just leave… She pulled on a few loose eyelashes.

"Haven't you ever wanted to see Atlantis?" He smiled confidently, as if he knew it was the hook he needed.

"Atlantis?" She uncrossed her arms before laughing. "You've got to be kidding."

This will just take a moment." Keefe said as he stared at the shelves filled with bottles of every size and shape possible. While he started muttering things like 'take that Alden, and you too of course Fitz, and Dad, hey let's just make this a _take that_ award ceremony!' Izzy found herself wandering a bit. The store was just so… strange. Looking like a rainbow had attacked a hollowed out melting candle, curved and swerving shelves sat tightly crammed with bottles among bottles. The names were just as strange. She ran her finger along one of the shelves, reading the tags under each line of bottles as Keefe's quiet voice began announcing the Fiftieth Award Ceremony for people who deserved "Take That" awards, and something about kissing a Gulon? Whatever that was...

She forced a small smile onto her lips. It was probably just her, but the tension swallowing the air around her felt like a dark storm cloud was on the horizon, just waiting to swallow her whole. It was probably because of how awkward this all felt, and scary. _Very_ scary. Was it really smart to trust her safety to a guy she barely knew, who spent his time hosting imaginary award ceremonies? Probably not… But the worst was how he had brought her to this city. After grabbing clothing out of a guest room closet where Biana apparently kept her overflow, and assuring Izzy Biana would be fine with it, he had sent Izzy to change. Then he dragged her out through the dining room door, onto the patio, and into the frigid, early morning air. The tendrils of fog that hadn't been burnt away by the waking sun were still vivid in her memory. Holding up a wand, he grabbed her hand, gave her a mischievous smirk that said _I'm up to something_ , and pulled into the light. Now, through some magic she was here, surrounded by bottles. But at least she wasn't getting the strange looks she had on the streets when she fell to her knees in shock. The stares only increased when he then pulled her off the ground, laughing as she screamed at him and hit him on the shoulder and chest a few times. Whatever happened, she was _never_ doing that again. She was determined to walk for now one, and no one would convince her otherwise.

Sighing, she took the few steps out of the aisle, walking into a thankfully much more roomy alcove. Even the elves counter and register set up looked the same as the malls and shops in Europe, except this counter was bent like a wave and just as melty as the stores exterior. Izzy walked up to the register, more out of curiosity than anything else. Though Keefe did seem to need help…

The whole area seemed, dark. It wasn't the lighting, though that was a bit dim too, but the whole store, despite its eccentricities and colors, was cold. It gave off the feeling of the air before a blizzard.

A loud crash sounded from the employees only door, making Izzy nearly jump out of her skin. A man with tousled, smoking strawberry blonde hair ran out, a large hole in his white lab coat sat surrounded by steaming green gloop. Everywhere the slime touched, more holes began to melt into his coat. His mad scientist looking goggles scanned the room panickily back and forth.

"Sorry miss, I'll be right with you! Just, ah, a new recipe, gone a bit…" He trailed off as he ran past her, grabbing a large, dark bottle with a round bottom and twisting flute off of the shelf, accidentally throwing the cork past Izzy's head, and dumping it over his head. "Wayward! That's the word." He turned and smiled as congealed grey smoke pour over him. "Also, this is why I wear Flaredon and Selke skin robes. Keep that in mind for Alchemy." He mused before turning the bottle right side up and flicking his goggles onto the top of his head. If he wasn't a mad scientist…

"So what can I help you, with…" He started to trail off as his light purple-blue eyes grew beyond normal size.

"Found it!" Keefe triumphantly yelled. "And a take _that_ award to you too shelves!" Dashing out with a giant smirk on his face, his gave the small, sky blue bottle a little swish for emphasis.

Izzy rubbed her arm as she glanced between the two of them, trying to send Keefe a look that said ' _help!'_ as horror and what looked like nausea seemed to overtake the man's face.

Keefe's eyes grew as he quietly swore under his breath. "Before you ask-" He smiled nervously as he jumped in between them, panic obviously overtaking his features, "She doesn't know anything. She doesn't remember me, or Fitz, or anyone. So… yeah…" He looked back at her, as if to get praise for a job well done.

Slowly removing his grey clouded goggles off of his head, the man kept trying to form words, an extreme sadness covering his eyes. Just as he stared to say something though, Keefe accidentally interrupted him.

"So, um, yeah-I'm-just-going-to-get-this, and-this-scans-here-right? Cool, cool!" He stammered as he grabbed something on the register and scanned his cube. Without wasting another second, he snatched Izzy's hand and dragged her through the aisles as he yelled, "Bye Mr. Dizznee! It's been, uh- See you later!"

Izzy had no choice but to follow Keefe, but it didn't stop her from looking back. Mr. Dizznee stood in the same spot, frozen. His eyes met hers, time slowing as they stared at each other. Some sort of silent message passed between them, but she couldn't put it into words. It was like he was saying, 'I'm glad you're safe, but what about me?' She couldn't help but wonder if everyone who once knew her, or "Sophie," was this horribly sad. But she knew the answer to that. His eyes said it all. Even Fitz, even Keefe and Biana, even if they were all compounded together into a giant globy mess of despair, it didn't compare to his.

As they hit cobblestone street outside of the shop, she wanted to ask, but something kept her from opening her mouth. Fear, shock, and the thought of what she could have done to make his eyes look like that stopped her.

"Well," Keefe interjected. "That was, _fun_! Now, drink this and we'll go to Atlantis!"

Izzy stared at the bottle, frowning. "It's not going to spew dark clouds, is it?"

Keefe laughed and pointed a thumb back at the shop. "I think there's enough in there to last everyone a lifetime." She knew he was referring to the potion Mr. Dizznee used, but as the realization of, whatever it was hit Keefe, his smile disappeared and he covered his mouth. For the first time Izzy noticed he looked a bit pale, sweat beading down his forehead.

"Umm," his voice was muffled through his hand. "Just, chug it. It doesn't taste good, but it's important. Ok?"

Izzy wanted to argue, but whatever was happening, whatever she must have done to the shop owner, and Keefe, and everyone else she had met, it weighed on her too heavily for her to open her mouth. She found the strength to part her lips just enough to fit the cool glass of the bottle. In one foul swoop she downed the liquid that should be named essence of feet before handing the bottle back to Keefe as she gagged.

"Good job!" he laughed, taking the bottle and throwing it much, much harder than he needed to onto the ground. Izzy jumped back in surprise, afraid it would bounce up and cut her. Keefe laughed even harder, a tears almost falling out of his eye. "Relax Foster, I've got this!" He wiped his eyes, still laughing, as he pointed to the broken pieces. They slowly began to vanish, melting into the air as a tiny wisps of white smoke lifted from them. Izzy took another step back, her mind wandering to plastic and carcinogens as Keefe shook his head.

"You really are entertaining to watch Foster. Those things are biodegradable, they just have an enzyme in the liquids to keep them from melting too soon. It's totally safe to drink! Geez you worry a lot." He added as her face contorted into disgust and concern. "Actually, it's good for us and the environment. It's packed with vitamins in it. _But_ , we've got more important things to worry about right now." He gave a blinding smile and held out his hand, his ice blue eyes flickering with excitement. "Are you ready to see something unlike anything else?"

This world was, complicated. And a past she didn't remember seemed to follow her like a shadow. But through everything in her short time here, all of the emotions, all of the people she had met and the experiences she had gained, she was sure of one thing. She wanted to see more. Without another hesitation, she grabbed his hand, making him jump slightly as if he didn't expect it.

"Geez, careful Foster, I'm delicate." He put his free hand on his forehead, as if he would swoon. Izzy rolled her eyes, though a small smile formed all the same.

"So, what?" He added. "No more hesitating or worrying? No more, 'what would Wonderboy think?" He mocked a high-pitched, horrible rendition of her. "I really would have thought it would take you more time to decide."

Izzy shook her head. "I'm going to try _not_ to worry. My whole life _is_ worry, and I can't change the direction it's going in right now. But, I _can_ make it better. I _can_ enjoy the ride, even if that does mean escaping to strange elven cities without anyone I know. Keefe..." She added with a sigh when he gave an overexaggerated pout.

"I'm hurt Foster. I'm hurt!"

She rolled her eyes again, something that seemed to become a frequent occurrence around him. "Look, I only met you yesterday in my mind. But that's not what's important. I'm ready to go. I want to control my own life for once. And I choose to go."

He gave her another smirk. "That's what I like to hear." Wrapping a hand around her waist, he reached into his pocket, and told her to hang on.

"Oh no! Not doing that again!" She started trying to push him away, but he tightened his grip. Bursting out laughing, he gave her another smirk.

"Come on Foster, don't you trust me?"

She gave him a giant frown. "No! Didn't I make that clear earlier? I just met you! And that- that, wandthingamagig, _no!_ Nah uh, not happening. I'll walk thank you very much!"

He laughed again, only rolling his eyes as he held up the crystal and pulled her towards the light. As a warmth of a million feathers enveloped them, Izzy screamed, but nothing came out. As soon as they reached, wherever, she was _so_ stealing that wand from it and breaking it in half.


	23. Jeronimo!

Things have been SO hectic lately! I'm so happy to have the next chapter up! Yay! Thank you guys as always for being patient, and now that I'm not as sick I plan on doing a lot more writing! :D I hope you guys enjoy! 3

When the world stopped spinning, and the warmth dissipated, a disoriented Izzy found herself standing on a cliff overlooking a sharp, grey ocean. Large waves crashed along the rocky edge like angry guards attempting to pull the 'trespassers' in. The wind had a knife-like chill to it, causing tiny bumps to form on Izzy's skin as she shivered and pulled her arms and cloak around her. She had pushed Keefe away the second they arrived, grumbling to herself as she looked for an opportunity to take the wand and chuck it off the cliff.

"Where are we?" She half snapped half sighed.

"Not Atlantis, if that's what you're asking." He replied, seemingly unaware of her frosty attitude. "Hang on a sec. This is going to be _good_." Keefe walked up to a large, slightly raised, triangle shaped stone set into the cliff. His blonde hair danced wildly in the wind and his cloak billowed out behind him like batman. He banged a closed fist on the one side, flashing a smirk over his shoulder and looking cool to the point it sort of bugged her. A strange, painful tinge flew through her heart, distracting her from whatever he was trying to show off. She tried to shake the sudden feeling out of her head, a mixture of nostalgia and longing, like she had been here before. It wasn't easy; especially since she couldn't understand it. The icy wind burned her cheeks and kicked at her bones, making her feel even colder and emptier inside. It was the same feeling she used to get when she would sit in the dark waiting for Aunt Cassy to come home. A half cooked microwave dinner resting on her knee as she watched perfect, happy families on tv sitting down for a giant feast, all homecooked of course. Or the times Maria and Izzy would stay up, giggling under the covers by the glow of a flashlight as they made plans to run away and find Maria's Mom. Obviously she would adopt Izzy, and they would officially be sisters, and life would be perfect. At least that's what Maria always said. Now she wasn't sure if that was even true… She had her real parents, and it had only been a few days, but her life still felt stalled, like she should be happy now. She had everything… Almost. She looked away from the wind, determined to not give her eyes even the slightest excuse to cry. She had to be brave, what other option was there. Maria would want her to be strong.

Izzy forced herself to focus on Keefe as he reached his hand into a hole in the stone, bottles sitting tightly on the rock shelves inside. He glanced back at her, smiled, and went back to choosing a bottle. It felt weird, being alone with this guy on a cliff in the middle of nowhere. He could kill her and no one would hear her scream. And yet, something told her he was safe, and unlike she had with Fitz, she was going to listen to her intuition this time. It also helped that the thought that constantly flowed under the surface of her consciousness, forcing her forward, breached it's head once again. Maria was out there by herself, maybe because of her. If she could do this, so could Izzy.

He stood up, turned around, and began walking towards her, snapping her out of her own lead weighted thoughts. He held the bottle's flute between two fingers like he had at that strange melty store, but this time he didn't shake it. Of course that only caused more worry. What could possibly be inside that _Keefe_ would be cautious? She hadn't known him long at all, but she already knew that wasn't a good sign. And then there was the wicked ear to ear smile that made her heart do a somersault in anticipation. Somehow his smile looked even more cocky and excited than when he pulled her into light of that wand… And suddenly she was very much regretting her decision.

"I have a _very_ bad feeling about this…" She muttered.

His smile changed, and somehow it wasn't crooked or wicked, just a smile. She was so taken aback by the sudden change that it took her a second to realize he had taken a few too many steps, leaving him much closer to her than she was comfortable with. A blush flew up her cheeks as his warm breath hit her face. His smile was more crooked than before.

 _If he tries to kiss me, I'm going to punch him_. She thought, her head spinning. It was bad enough that Fitz was accidentally causing her heart to do flips to the point it might detach; at least he didn't mean it. But as Keefe began to chuckle, she was thrown somewhere between punching him or throwing her ankle length cloak over her face. She wasn't used to guys, at all. Besides her uncles, she didn't have much experience in dealing with them. They all seemed to look right through her, not that she could blame them. She always hid in the shadowy corners of the classrooms, with dark, baggy clothes all but hiding her from sight, and her headphones shoved in so tight her brain reverberated the screams from her phone. But now there was a guy not only in kissing distance, but who was very, incredible annoying and really deserved a good Maria punch. And he knew it, it was obvious the way his eyes lit up as she stumbled over her words to try to speak.

She should have said something smart mouthed back, or shoved him, or flat out ask him what he thought he was doing, but no. She had to lose control over her body at that exact moment in time and burst out crying.

"Woah!" Keefe jumped back a step. "Sorry! I, I didn't mean- I was just messing with you! Because, you know you're face is so expressive and I'm an empath and it's fun and _I'm sorry! Please_ don't cry! I'll do anything! I'll- I'll, _kiss a gulon!_ Or, or-"

"It's not you." Izzy sobbed, letting herself drop onto the cold, mossy stone. "I mean, it _is_. What were you thinking?! I don't want to kiss anyone! I don't even have a real name, or a family, or my own clothes, or, or a house. I _don't_ need another person to worry about or more drama, _and I should have punched you!_ Probably, but you would fall off the cliff and people would hate me more and then I would end up back in Venice probably and-"

"Wooooooah." Keefe put his hands up, partly to stop her and partly to defend himself. He had chosen a particularly mossy spot with an acceptable amount of distance between them, like he was suddenly very aware of boundaries. "Geez Foster, one thing at a time. First, you have a family and a home and everything. And even if you didn't, I know the Vackers would take care of you. As annoying as most of them are, they do care a lot. And _I know_ Della will take care of clothes. Also, I totally wasn't going to kiss you. I just, I've always teased you. I figured it would be easier to pick things up where we left off. Which means me being incredibly handsome and charming and you falling _madly_ in love with my hair and blushing like a school girl." He flipped his hair in a dramatic way before sending Izzy a hesitant smile.

"Not, funny!" She glared through sobs. "I don't even know, my name, or, if me is _me_. And, and you all could be taking care of me, thinking, _she's Sophie_ , but I'm not! What if I'm not?! Then, what happens to me?" Her voice came out loud, calling over the crashing waves like the seagulls overhead, but when she came to the last sentence, it dropped, nearly lost among the seafoam. "I don't need to try to sift through fake things too." She muttered over the silence that fell between them. Her face shoved against her knees now, she knew she had made a mistake. It was all just falling on her, like she was stuck in an hourglass. Every minute it became harder to breath, and as much as she tried to hold it in, or be strong for everyone else, Keefe just had the misfortune of being that last grain of sand that caused her to erupt. But still, she shouldn't have burst. She should have kept it in. He didn't deserve to try and pick up the pieces.

Keefe frowned, crossing his arms like he was very uncomfortable, though for some reason a quiet fury seemed to flow through him, under the skin. "If that happens, you'll live the way you've created here. Nothing will change, I promise. Either way, you're an elf, and so far in our history, of those who haven't been exiled, we've only ever lost two. And you're one of them. So believe me when I say I'm certain you're Foster, Foster.

Izzy's eyes grew, shock and something like nausea running through her veins as a thought burst through her head. "The other elf," She whispered, looking up but not meeting his eyes. "could they be Sophie?"

Keefe gave a cold laugh. "Unless Sophie turned into a dude, I don't think so."

She wiped at her face with her cloak. "How did he-"

"It's classified. Sorry. I'm sure Wonderboy will slip and tell you eventually though. He seems to have a knack for breaking rules, more so than me."

As she frowned with disappointment Izzy doubted that claim. She wanted to know. If there was someone else out there like her, maybe she wouldn't feel so empty. But a sickening thought entered her brain. Two, in their whole history they had lost two. And if she was one of them- She shook her head so hard it rattled. The odds pointed to a scary answer, but she was too full to deal with more, so she shoved it into a dark corner of her brain where she could think about it later, when things made more sense.

"Sorry. I didn't mean, to start crying. I just, _everything_. It's all happening so fast, and I can't keep up. If I didn't have Fitz to keep me sane, I would have drown with information days ago."

Keefe snorted. "Yeah, I'm _sure_ he's a huge help. He does benefit from it after all. Just don't rely on him too much. He'll only let you down." His eyes met her, a sadness and intensity to them. "Stick with me, I will _never_ abandon you. I promise." He smiled, but it barely moved his cheeks, let alone break through his icy eyes.

She wanted to ask so many questions, but the more they swirled around her head the less she could say until the words formed into a massive blob, too large and heavy to escape through her fragile lips.

Keefe scooted closer, causing her to jump when he took her hand, the warmth from his fingers seeping into hers. He pressed something more chilling than the wind into her palm before clasping her hand around it and letting go. As the warmth dissipated and he made his way back to his spot, she could feel a small swirling from the bottle, like it was alive. She opened her fingers, staring at the tiny, miniature whirlpool that spun around and around, turning up seafoam and breaking through the dark water. It seemed impossible that so much could be contained in such a breakable glass bottle.

"Sorry." Keefe interrupted. She looked up, meeting his eyes. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just, I used to always tease you. I thought we could go back to the way things were, you know? Like I said, it should have been easier. It worked out so much better in my head. And, I know you weren't completely upset at me, but I was the last straw. I never thought about how much you're going through, or how much they would keep a secret. I guess, I was just happy you were back." His smile was dripping with sadness, like if it disappeared a thunderous storm cloud would overtake his head and rain for eternity.

Izzy sighed, wiping her eyes again as they burned from the salt of her own tears. "I…. I'm not Sophie, or Foster, or anyone else. I'm me. Maybe, if we just, try to let our personalities direct our relationship… it would be easier? But," She started to whisper. "We could try… And Keefe," She added. "Thank you. That means a lot." She pressed her fingers tighter against the bottle, using it as an anchor.

"It's just, hard." Keefe started, sighing and running a hand down the side of his face. "I feel like I know you, I _did_ know you. But now, you're different. But you're the same, and- I don't know how to act around you." He smiled sadly. "I'm no good without humor."

She fiddled with the bottles cork, click clicking her fingers on the lip of the glass.. "Well, I'm just me. And, I…, I don't know how to act with everyone. They look at me and see some girl, and even if I am her, I don't remember any of it. They put these high expectations on my shoulders that I could never live up to. But at the same time they're constantly running around to make sure I don't have to lift a finger, so that my transition to whatever _this_ is, "she motioned around them, "is easier; and to make up for past mistakes. It's… I hate it. It's exactly the way it was in Venice for the first few years. I just want to be normal for once."

Keefe rested his head on his knee, turning his face to better look at her. His ice blue eyes seemed to stare into her soul, like he could read her mind. "How do you want me to treat you?"

Izzy sighed, her eyes too dry to do anything but ache. She swiped at them with a sleeve a few times anyway as she tried to come up with words. Her brain felt like it had been over taken by a cloud of fog, too hazy to really do much but crave sleep.

"H-hey" Keefe squeaked. "I, umm- Are you crying? Because, umm, I can ask another thing, like-"

"No one's ever asked me that." She interrupted him. "Not here, not in Venice, nowhere. Thank you. I think I've been waiting for someone to ask me that."

"Yeah..." He said after a while, watching her as if he was unsure how to react.

Izzy wiped her face off with her cloak for good measure before standing up. "Let's go." She mumbled, before repeating it once more, stronger so he could hear it over the wind.

He furrowed his brows. "I, but- Don't you want to talk about it? I mean, you never gave me an answer..."

Izzy smiled, though it had a thread of sadness flowing through it. "Just, treat me like I'm me. Don't make assumptions based on someone from the past. I just want to be my own person. _Izzy_. If you think you would tease the me, now" she put a hand on her chest. "then go ahead I guess. But, if you're teasing me because of Sophie, then, don't. I'm sorry, but she's gone. That's not what you want to hear, I know, but I'm not her."

Keefe didn't meet her eyes, just silently nodded, sitting on the smooth rock and looking much smaller. "I guess… I can see what you're saying. …I'll try, but yeah, that's not what I ever wanted to hear."

His eyes locked onto hers for a second, something strange and sad passing through them.

"After years of thinking you were dead… I think everyone wanted to think you were still alive. Especially _Fitz_." He almost snapped the last part, like his name on his tongue was as disgusting as hot sauce and cantaloupe mixed with beef jerky.

Izzy rubbed her arm, wondering how deep into her life the scars actually went. "What do you mean especially Fitz?"

Keefe growl-sighed before standing up and brushing off his pants. "I mean everything's always about him. _Always_. Because he's a _Vacker_. They're practically royalty, and he knows it. You'll see what I mean eventually." He added when she gave him a look.

"I don't think I will." Izzy started as she tugged on an itchy eyelash. "I may have only known him for a week, but I think I know what kind of person he is. And he is selfless, and caring, and-"

"You think." Keefe sighed." I thought too, for a long time. But that's not what we should be focusing on today. I'm not going to let him ruin anything else, especially since he isn't even here! Let's just agree that we feel differently about him. I won't talk about him in front of you, and when you have problems with him, you can always come talk to me." A crooked smile crept up his face. "But more importantly right now, you wanna see that something awesome?"

The way he talked about Fitz more than annoyed her. Fitz was the one who brought her here, who kept looking for her, who found _her family_. …But Keefe had been in this world for years longer than her. What if she really did miss something about him? Was that possible? His teal eyes shone in her mind's eye, the emotions flooding them as she ran from him during her last few seconds in her home city. _Emotions towards her_. That couldn't be faked, right? But Keefe was willing to not talk about him, which did say a lot about his character... She still couldn't help but feel irritated that he said 'in front of,' like she wouldn't catch it.

He held a hand out, standing at the edge of the cliff as his hair began to plaster it's self to his cheekbones and jaw as the ocean sprayed them with icy salt water. "Come on Foster. You trusted him, why not me?"

She wanted to add that she hadn't, that she had been kidnapped to the Lost Cities, but as images of Fitz filled her head she couldn't argue with it, because if he had reached her first, she probably would have gone with him. She did trust him, without a doubt. But the fear of the chaos around her always got in the way. Her lack of trust in herself always pulled her in the wrong direction.

Izzy took a few hesitant steps towards Keefe, slowly putting her hand in his. His smirk spread across his face.

"Relax." He fanned the air around his face. He smiled as she looked at him with confusion at the strange gesture, the emotion only growing as he took a step behind her. She started turning towards him, suddenly aware of how high up they were, and how close to falling she was.

He put a hand on her shoulder, as if to keep her from running as he reassured her. "Like I said, relax. This is going to be _awesome_!" He bent over slightly, pointing to a spot in the sea not too far off from them. "Throw the bottle right there. Don't worry if you miss. As long as it's close, it'll be fine." A shiver ran up her spine as the heat from his breath hit her ear.

 _Too close_.

She took a step forward, a few pebbles plummeting down from under her feet.

Keefe laughed. "Geez Foster, I don't bite! But you _are_ fun to tease though. I guess that can stay, huh."

He looked so proud of himself, with his bright smile that lit up his eyes.

" _Izzy_. Not Foster, _not_ Sophie, _Izzy_."

"Right." He smiled. " _Izzy_. Sorry, I'll keep working on that."

She nodded her head before turning her attention back to the swirling bottle in her hand. Somehow she was supposed to throw this in the ocean and, then what? She had an idea formed, like a half light lightbulb hanging over her head. It wasn't hard to figure out, but it _was_ insane. Absolutely crazy, and it destroyed every piece of information and science she knew, which as a Biology major was definitely not what she wanted... But, so many other things she had seen in the past few days were unexplainable, and what did she really have to lose besides a whirlpool in a bottle? She held her hand up slightly, letting the weight of the bottle pull down on her palm. How would this really bring her to Atlantis?

"You wont regret trusting me on this Izzy." Keefe interrupted with a quiet whisper between the roar of the ocean waves.

"I hope not." She sighed, her body shaking slightly from the nerves of whatever was about to come next. It couldn't be a coincidence that they were standing on the edge of a towering cliff… And she had seen the Little Mermaid 2 enough times to know in her hand was basically a mammoth tube of destruction and probably death. Then a thought crossed her brain, just shocking enough to distract her from the horror that was unfolding. Izzy quickly looked back up, a smile splitting her lips. "You said my name."

Keefe just rolled his eyes like it was no big deal, but he gave off an air of pride. "Yeah, well, I have no idea what your last name is now sooo…"

"Esposito." Izzy nodded.

A disgusted look covered his face. "What?! That's no fun to say!"

Rolling her eyes, she just sighed. "It doesn't have to be. It's a name."

"Boooooring. We'll have to come up with some new, not Sophie, not boring nicknames for you."

"How about Izzy." She turned, about to point out that that _was_ a nickname, but her foot slipped, threatening to send her tumbling to what was all but definitely her death.

She opened her mouth to let out a scream, but before she could Keefe had wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her back up. Unable to from words, she stared at him with wide eyes, gasping for breath.

"Like I said, you can trust me Foster." He gave a wink that made her heart jump a bit, though it was probably from the fact she almost died. He glanced down at the waves, a loud, crashing sound like thunder filled the air and echoing through her head. "Oh hey, that works."

That was the last thing she heard Keefe say before everything went into slow motion. He gave her another wicked grin, then without a thought or any signs of sane emotion, he threw her over the edge. She flailed, as is if she would suddenly learn how to swim through the air. Her scream filled her ears, blocking out the sounds of the ocean and causing flocks of birds to screech away. Time seemed to slow down more and more as a massive whirlpool in the rocky patch of inky water came closer and closer, threatening to swallow her whole. The last thing she saw as she fell in was a large, billowing black cloak, blonde hair gleaming in the sun as Keefe did an Olympic style dive towards her.

"JERONIMO!"

She screamed louder. It was official. He was _insane_ , and she was going to die. She screamed within her mind, wishing she hadn't been so stupid, wishing she had just waited for Fitz. Logical, sane, not deadly Fitz. Somehow she knew that if he was here, none of this would have ever happened. If only she could go back she would have run away screaming as soon as she saw Keefe's cocky grin in the kitchen, and woken up Fitz.

Then the swirling blue walls, with occasional splashes of color as fish flew by, began to curve, and darkness filled the tunnel like a death trap. She could feel her lungs burning as she struggled for air, but it was useless. She was stuck in a whirlpool with a maniac who threw her _off a cliff_. As black spots filled her vision of an even darker ocean walls, she realized that of all of the ways she could have gone, this was definitely the strangest.


	24. Past, Present, Future

Being sick makes it so hard to write. Bleh. It took me a while to finish this, but I'm all better now! :D You'll also notice a reference to one of my roleplaying friends in here!

Also I'm holding a contest! Keefe needs to give Izzy, full name Isabella Esposito, some awesome nicknames! And Keefe needs some awesome nicknames from her! In the review section post your ideas, and I might pick some to be in the story! No limit on entries either!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and are prepared for the next chapter's surprising twist! ;)

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Izzy groaned and blinked her eyes open against the dim light. Her head hurt, and worse yet she had such a freaky dream. Maria controlled ice, and her family was evil, and there was a hot, brooding guy named Fitz, and a dangerous, blonde smirky guy named-

"Izzy!" Keefe yelled, obviously very relieved as his head came into focus above her. "Oh good, I was just about to call Elwin, which would have blown our whole adventure! Thank gods you're alright!"

Flinching at the sound of his voice, her eyes flew wide open as she shot up. Her heart sank into the ground as the blood rushed to her head and made the world spin. She shoved a hand against the cool, cave floor and another against her throbbing forehead. He stared back at her with even wider eyes, though his face quickly scrunched up in confusion.

"Hey… um, are you-"

"You jerk! I almost died!" She cried before shoving him hard in the chest. He had been kneeling over her, but the force of the impact sent him flying square on his butt.

He groaned. "Geez FossIzzy, Izzy. You're a _lot_ stronger than you look! Ow, by the way! Geez. That _hurt_!" He rubbed his chest and gave her an injured puppy dog look.

" _I ALMOST DIED!"_ Izzy shrilly screamed, the sound echoing off the tall, rocky walls over and over until a hundred Izzy's wailed at him from all directions.

He covered his ears but still rolled his eyes. "I knew exactly what I was doing. Plus, you didn't almost die, you just forgot to breath." He tried to hide a smile, but it only twisted his lips further into a smirk.

She blinked a few times, incredulous. "What, but… we were, under water? I thought-"

Keefe gave a snort while trying to hold in his laughter. "You have a lot to learn Miss E."

Izzy jumped up, though immediately regretted it as she almost toppled over.

"I've got you, relax!" Keefe winked after grabbing her arm and leading her away from wherever they were. "Aaand, I guess I should have warned you, but I didn't think you would forget to _breath_!" He burst out laughing, wiping a tear from his eye as Izzy frowned, blushing in embarrassment.

"But hey, I guess I succeeded in taking your breath away." He added with a wink. Izzy blushed harder and ripped her arm away.

"Don't worry, it'll be worth it! Promise." he put a hand to his chest, like a pledge, but she just walked by him, unconvinced and unwilling to let him see how red her face was, for various reasons.

"Hey, hey, I'll buy you whatever you want in return." He easily caught up to her, facing her as he walked sideways and then cut her off. "My treat to make up for it. I _should_ have warned you before throwing you into the whirlpool. I messed up. But you have to admit, it was _way_ more fun that way! I didn't think you would pass out though! Ah, but" He quickly added, cutting off his growing smirk as she glowered at him, arms crossed. "It was wrong, and I won't do it in the future. And you can consider me your walking bank for the day. Deal?"

"I don't need your money." She snapped. "You can't buy trust or forgiveness. And, anyway, I have my own blue cube thing right-" She shoved her hand into her pocket, only to come to the sudden realization that it was empty.

"I-…" She frantically searched the last pockets decorating her skirt and cape. He just smirked, knowing he had her trapped. "Fine!" She snapped, an image of Fitz's cloak draped across the corner of her bed, birth fund in pocket, flashing through her mind. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you! _And_ I'm paying you back. Like I said, I don't want your money."

"Deal." Keefe said a bit too happily. He reached his hand out to shake hers. Begrudgingly she returned the gesture.

The rest of the walk to the city was in silence, though mostly because Izzy was so awestruck. It was hard to stay mad when she was quickly surrounded by such beauty.

As Keefe tried to decided where to bring her first, they stood on the edge of a busy sidewalk. She stared at the massive, blue, spiraling crystal towers that rose over city, emitting a soft, aqua blue glow. The light bounced against the large, much-too-fragile looking bubble that shielded them from the ocean above. The city streets shone with the water's reflection, like ocean was flowing through the air all around them. No one else seemed to stop and stare like she did. Somehow the magnificence must have been lost to them over the years. Occasionally a child would join her in gaping at this strange world, but they would be quickly pulled away by their much-too-busy parents. It didn't escape her notice either how much it looked like Venice, just a million times better and shoved a thousand years into the future. Everything sparkled and gleamed like a diamond in the sun despite the dim light, and something about being underwater give it a mystical feeling unlike anything in the human world. She found herself peering through the far away dome, wondering if a mermaid could be passing by them at that very second.

But the canals, they brought her back to Venice like a ghost of her past life. Crisscrossing around the city, and only separated from sight by large, intricate bridges that belonged in Paris, she had a hard time taking her eyes off of them as she walked by. Part of her still thought that this was all just a dream, that if she stared into the water's depth, she would find herself back home, waiting for the vaporetti to go to Uni. Occasionally, when Keefe wasn't paying attention, she would inch towards the edge, tempted to test the theory, but something always stopped her. She didn't want this dream to end. The adventure, the new friends, _the magic_. That realization was almost harder to cope with than the giant blue scorpions that pulled along the gondolas. Their deadly sharp tails stuck straight out of the water, curled just slightly and posed for action. Looking up at the barbed edge made a shiver run down her spine, and something about it brought her back to Uncle Gethen's eyes… She had even more reason now to stay as far away from the edge as possible.

Keefe was always smiling, always laughing and joking and just full of light. She wanted to be more like him, and even if that wasn't possible, she decided she would try. Instead of focusing on the past, she forced herself to be aware, to notice every detail she could of this insanely gorgeous city, and after that decision every turn of a corner took her breath away. It was like her current life had been wrapped up in a collection of buildings. Too much to take in, too much she didn't understand, and not enough time in the world to ask everything she wanted to know. And somehow a glimmer of her old life still laid buried under the brilliance. But maybe that was a good thing. Atlantis reminded her of where she had been, and hopefully the life she would live would be just as beautiful.

They walked for a while longer, going from shop to shop before stopping again, Keefe stared at a holographic map radiating out from a contraption in his palm. He spun the air city this way and that, determined to show her another "awesome" place. Every time the city or stores stole her breath, he beamed in pride, almost as if he had built it all himself. As he stared intently, Izzy let her eyes wonder out to large canal in front of them. How could anything possible top what she had seen? They went to candy store where candy bubbles filled with flavored air floated around the room, cotton candy was actually an edible, delicious, melt in your mouth form of cloud, and all kinds of weird sounding yet absolutely incredible things sat in shelves. They even had miniature cities made out of crystal looking treats. Keefe had pointed out the names of each one, places she had never heard of, but he insisted she would see them eventually. Best of all had to be the life-sized chocolate unicorn statues on either side of the entrance, an archway forming from the rainbow fountain that came from each horn. And the toy store was even better.

Shifting as a slight breeze fluttered through the alleyway, she couldn't help but glance at the slightly heavy bag hanging from her arm. Keefe had taken her to a lot of stores, but nothing drew her quite as much as the one… what was it called? Something she didn't remember, but it didn't really matter the name. Tucked away in a corner of the city, far enough on the edge that Izzy could put her hands on the bubble's wall and peer out into the inky depths, was what seemed like an antique shop, but so much better. Everything was a treasure, like someone had dug up a mermaid bank full of chests, thrown in a dragon's lair, and added candle light so that it all shone like something out of Aladdin. The room was far from darkly lit though, in fact some areas were a bit too bright to look at, the gold making the light bounce back and forth like a trampoline.

"So," Keefe smiled. "Your obviously impressed. My awesomeness succeeds again."

Izzy wanted to roll her eyes, but she was _very_ impressed. Instead she continued to gawk at everything, attempting to take all of the jewels and crowns and necklaces and toys and books and everything in, but it was impossible.

Keefe smirked before picking up a chocolate brown diamond tiara and holding it out. "How about this? It matches your eyes."

She flinched slightly, not really meaning to but still subconscious about the stupid color she was stuck with.

"Thanks, but no. Plus I don't really do crowns."

"It's not a crown, it's a ti _aaa_ ra."

"Same thing." Izzy shrugged and rolled her eyes before choosing an aisle slightly less, out there.

"Oh come on, all girls love jewelry, right? Just give into it Foster. You can't ignore the calling."

"Yeah, well not me. At least not so gaudy as that. What am I going to wear something that, crazy to anyway? My coronation?"

Keefe just laughed. "You really are different Fos- Izzy" He quickly caught himself as she gave him a look. "Biana is always going on and on about dresses and gemstones and earrings and shoes. Gods is she obsessed with shoes!"

Izzy smiled as she flipped through a few books. "Maria always was too. Shoes were her weakness, and a great apology gift for when I made her mad…" Trailing off she sighed, shoved a book back in place, and stared at a table of music boxes, trying to pretend that it didn't hurt, that she didn't feel like her whole world was crumbling to the ground. Keefe put his hand on her shoulder a little bit too hard, making her jump.

"Hey, what about this?" He picked up a music box that fit almost perfectly in his hand. It shone slightly in the light, but not like the others. It's silver, elegantly carved surface was beyond anything she had seen, even in Venice, but it wasn't so gaudy or standoutish.

Izzy shrugged. It was incredibly beautiful, more so than anything she could have ever hoped to own, and that scared her. What if she hurt it, or didn't know how to treat it and didn't something stupid, or… what if it made this all real…

Keefe just smiled, unaffected by her change of demeanor. Carefully unlatching it, he pulled back the top and revealed a tiny, magical, perfect miniature Atlantis. It floated like a hologram, but when Izzy reached forward, her finger gently grazing the form, it was cold to the touch like stone. Tiny dolphins swam around it, a soft lullaby emitting from the city. Something about the music made her heart swell in a way it hadn't since before she met Fitz. The song made her feel calm, and safe, and like she was home, but so much better. She tried to hide her blush as it brought her thoughts back to the night before, when Fitz and she had stayed up talking, and how he had held her hand until she fell asleep.

"So, I'd take it that's a yes." Keefe gently smiled and Izzy wiped away a rouge tear. "Don't worry, the music is created specifically to affect your emotions, though I don't know why your face is so red." Izzy fought the urge to hide her face with her hands. "Anyway," he continued, "I figured this one would be best. Plus, it's can sorta be like my welcome home gift. And apology gift. How about we just say this is an "I'm the best friend _ever_ and you couldn't live without me" gift."

Izzy laughed, shaking her head and carefully taking the music box from his hand.  
"Apology and welcome home gift accepted. It's, amazing." She breathed, watching as the city slowly turned, tiny gondolas floating down small canals.

"Fine, then I'll just have to find something _super awesome_ next time."

"This isn't super awesome?" Her eyebrows flew up.

"Nah, this is just _awesome_." He leaned in "Just wait, when I do _super awesome_ , you'll know it." His smirk was so large Izzy was surprised it didn't slide off his face.

Cradling the music box, she walked away, letting him chase after her for once. As great of a friend as he was, somehow he brought cheesy and flirty to a whole new level, though she knew it was only him joking. She didn't totally hate it though. Being around him was so much fun, and so different from her past life. It would be hard not to be happy with his stupid jokes and constant smirks. "I'll be waiting 'insert cool nickname here'."

"That's the spirit!" He all but yelled. "Nicknames! Yes! You'd better come up with an _awesome_ one! I'm counting on you Iz!"

Rolling her eyes, she kept walking, partly wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"Alright," present day Keefe said, resting his arm on her shoulder and knocking Izzy out of her thoughts. "I've got the perfect place. I think you're going to love it! Hopefully."

Izzy looked up, tucking her bag slightly under her arm so as to protect her music box. Keefe held out the map, and even though all but the center of the view was hazy, she could make out a few of the shops on the map scattered around them. He pointed to one in particular, not far from the You Are Here sign. It was hard to tell exactly where it would be though, since shops cluttered the streets. They were crammed in along the sidewalk, yet somehow looking like they had all the space in the world. Balconies lined a select few, something like ivy draping down from them like Georgia moss.

"It's this way." Keefe said before taking off, catching her off guard and forcing her to run after him.

"Hey, wait up!" Izzy yelled back.

His maniacal laughter followed him down the street, making her worry about what he actually had planned.

"This is going to be _great_!" He yelled, "just wait!"

"Last time you said that I almost died!" Izzy loudly replied.

Laughing louder, Keefe just looked back, smirking from ear to ear.

He was up to something.


	25. Drowning in Fabric: A Keefe Production

I was really suprised this chapter took me so long, then I realized it was the length of two easily! Makes a _lot_ more sense now! (Also man I hate editing hahaha!) Soooo, enjoy this double chapter, and I hope you all love the end twist as much as I do! ^.^ (Also don't worry too much. 3 Love you guys! 3 ) Ps. To all of you Sofitz fans, Fitz will be in the next chapter a _bunch_! So don't worry! :)

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"No, Keefe, _no!_ "

Laughing, Keefe stood behind her and gave her a push, forcing her to step through the doorway and into a world of thousands of fabrics she could never even begin to remember the names of.

"You need clothes Iz, and be _very_ glad it's me taking you instead of Della. Plus, I've got an eye for these kinds of things!"

As annoyed as she was that he had tricked her into a clothing store, or should she say _dress_ shop, he was kind of right. His clothing, the two times she had seen him, was always perfectly pressed, thick, ornate fabrics in undisputed harmony as they sat perfectly tailored on his body. It looked stuffy and expensive and so _not_ like Keefe, but somehow he pulled it off amazingly.

"This is where my mom and dad always take me." He started, grabbing her around the upper arm and pulling her forward. "Don't worry, at first I was like 'you've got to be kidding me,' but then you'll see how great it is. Plus, it's actually really comfortable!"

She still wasn't sure, and the severe lack of pants around her was worrying...

But, she didn't have time to make up her mind before he handed her off to some woman, a barrage of dresses quickly following suit. Blue, teal, red, orange, green, every spectrum of the rainbow, and every nook and cranny in between, was covered by the massive amounts of fabrics. She could be buried in the piles of cloth and drown before anyone ever found her, and then there were the styles. She never realized so many kinds of dresses could be made from bits of fabric, but they were real and they were many. And she had to decide which ones she liked best, which ones she hated, which ones she might actually wear one day.

Of course, Keefe made it into a fashion show…

"This is embarrassing." Izzy groaned as she slid a hand down her face, another poufy dress hanging from her frame and making her feel way too much like some bird with a feather disorder.

"It looks great! Don't be ridiculous!" Keefe happily grinned.

"Hey! I'm being nice and helpful! What did I do?!" He cried as a pillow from one of the stupid over stuffed, plush sofas that lined the room hit him square in the face.

"Wow, it actually hit. I didn't expect that!" Izzy smiled brightly.

Keefe just pouted.

And then came more dresses. And more. And _more_. How many dresses were even in this stupid shop?

No matter how many she put on, they made her feel, strange. She didn't belong in things like this. She belonged in blue jeans and crumpled t-shirts a few sizes too big from the local thrift shop, eating pizza in a dark apartment. Now she was surrounded by crystal buildings, and enough gold to crash the stock market. And these stupid dresses.

She tried to meet her eyes in the mirror, tried to pretend she was happy, but it was like staring at a stranger. She looked like some princess that had stepped out of a fairy tale, too beautiful and doll-like to be real. It also didn't help that the first time she looked in the mirror she almost had a heart attack.

"KEEFE!" She had screamed, her voice echoing through the boutique.

The woman helping her and Keefe sprinted in, Keefe holding a hand over his eyes.

"Are you decent, should I, should I even be here? Umm, you-screamed-my-name-so-I-came-but-now-I'm-wondering-if-I-should-"

Izzy ripped his hand off of his face, glaring daggers at him. "What _the hell_ did you do? It was that freaking potion wasn't it!?"

Keefe took a large step back, hands up in defense. "Woooah, just hang on a sec Soph-Iz. Iz." He smiled hesitantly.

The woman looked back and forth between them, unsure whether to intervene or not. "Is, everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah," Keefe reassured her. "Everything's fine, I just gave her an eye color changing potion. She wasn't exactly expecting it."

She gave a large, slow nod back. "I'll go get some more dresses for her to try while you two... talk, Mr. Sencen."

"Thanks."

Izzy stared back at the mirror, sky blue eyes looking back at her.

He paused for a second, like he was trying to come up with some stupid joke to fix it all, but eventually he just sighed. "Sorry Izzy, I should have told you, but with everything going on, I totally forgot. It's just, a precautionary measure. You see, elves don't have brown eyes. Which is amazing that you do, but-"

"Is it permanent?" She whispered. Unsure how she felt. It was so different, so _not_ her, but it _was_ really beautiful…

"No, definitely not! It's got about an hour or so left before it wears off. Don't worry, you'll get your old eyes back!" He patted her on the back before walking through the curtain. "You should try on that blue one next." he smiled.

Izzy just nodded, trying to pretend she wasn't disappointed, though relief was the largest emotion to wash over her. She still felt, upset. Looking at herself was, wrong. Her big, chocolate brown eyes were such a large part of her, and she couldn't imagine not having them. But she didn't really want to be herself right now either… Then something he had said, something about no one having brown eyes, finally hit her brain, but he was already gone, and a barrage of dresses kept her attention away from asking any further.

A dress flew over the curtain, almost hitting her in the face and knocking her out of her thoughts. "Try that one!" Keefe's voice audibly held a smile.

Rolling her eyes, she tore it off the ground and tried on yet another cloth monster. Keefe was having fun with this…

Stepping forward, arms pressed to her side like every other dress she showed off, she nervously took a breath and pouted.

"Here it is."

Keefe frowned. "You're too stiff Iz. Loosen up a bit!" He made himself an example as he waved his arms like spaghetti.

Rolling her eyes, she began to walk back to the dressing room, only to be stopped by him as he grabbed her arm. Izzy jumped, ripping her arm away and shoving the skin against her stomach.

"Woah, hey, sorry." He quickly defended, his face contorting with apologetic guilt and suprise, "If you hate it this much, we don't have to keep trying on things. We can leave, or-"

"No Keefe, it's, not that. I don't, _totally_ mind this… It's, kind of nice, getting to try on different clothing." She blushed, wishing those words didn't have to leave her lips. Something like this was only a dream a few days ago, and admitting she kind of wanted to do this, after years of convincing everyone she only wanted to wear her jeans, it wasn't exactly easy.

"Then what is it?"

Pulling on an itchy eyelash, she tried to decide if she should tell him. She flicked it to the floor and grabbed another one.

"Umm…" Keefe began, like he was trying to find the words.

"I," Izzy sighed, his face making guilt tear at her stomach. "Fine, let's just get this over with." She muttered.

"I, what? Hey!" He yelled as she shoved him behind the curtain.

"Tell anyone and you're dead." She stared at the floor as she steadied herself for his reaction. Would he even want to talk to her after seeing them? It had happened before…

"What exactly are you planning on showing me?" Keefe all but squeaked, his face scarlet red.

Then it dawned on her, she had just shoved him into a dressing room. That was, weird. _Really_ weird. And as he was staring at the wall, pulling on his collar like he couldn't breathe, she wished a random sinkhole would suddenly form underneath her and swallow her up.

"Not that!" She whisper squeaked back. "Whatever you're thinking! It's _not that_!"

"Ok, because normally when I go shopping with a girl they don't shove me into-"

"Yeah, I get it." She facepalmed. "Wait, most times?" She pulled her hand down, gawking at him. "This has happened before?" Her face contoured. "Gross, too much information!"

"NO! That's not what I meant! I mean- That is-"

"I have some stupid scars, alright! On my arms! That's all! That's it I swear to god, so can we just pretend this isn't awkward and never happened, because I'm about five seconds from running away very far from here and using brain bleach!"

"Brain, bleach? What's bleach?"

Fighting the impulse to face palm again she shoved him out of the dressing room, hard, and covered her bright red cheeks with her hands.

"Gah!"

Izzy pulled back the curtain, only to find Keefe upside down in an armchair a few feet away.

"Oops..."

"What just happened?" Keefe mumbled, frowning.

Izzy tried not to laugh, she really did, but the way his messy hair fell in his face, his frown literally upside down, and the fact that she was shopping for _dresses_ , with a _boy_ , a very _cute_ boy, was too much to bear. Bursting out laughing, Keefe sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I'm the one supposed to be messing with _you_." He said, though he smiled slightly. "At least I made you laugh. You've been such a bummer lately."

"Well, you kind of kidnapped me at a bad time." She said through laughs as she sunk to the floor. The happiness was bittersweet, and each side of it made her want to cry, but at least the happiness was starting to take over the sadness. Maybe she could get through this after all. She hadn't been so sure before.

"So," Keefe managed to wiggle out of the seat like a caterpillar and land on his feet, not a hair out of place. "You said something about scars?"

Izzy's smile flew off her face faster than she had been ripping off dresses.

"Woah, touchy subject?"

"Yeah, a bit." No, a lot. She stared at the ground again, hugging her arms to her stomach and sighing, wishing the sea of light blue tulle surrounding her could cover them up too.

"Well, can I see? I mean, if there is something bothering you… I'm not good at serious, but I can make some _mean_ jokes about it."

Sighing again, and fighting the urge to pull out another eyelash, she laid her arms out, watching his face as it twisted in horror and disgust.

"Woah! Like, _how_? I've never seen anything like that! Oh, wait, never mind I have. But that's a _looong_ story."

Izzy's lips curled downward even lower.

"Umm, so, how-"

"I don't know." She muttered. "I just know that all of these dresses show them off. I don't know what to do…"

"Okay… Um, there are probably some potions that could cover it up, or maybe Elwin could do something. There has to be way, don't worry." He forced a small smile, though she just felt even more subconscious. His reaction wasn't bad, just… not great. But, she wasn't really sure _how_ she wanted him to react, and at least he didn't just stare at them like Fitz did. Maybe she wanted him to take them seriously though, but for Keefe, that might be asking too much, and he was trying to help her. But, more prevalent in her mind, thinking of Fitz made his sparkling teal eyes show up in her head, along with an image of that café and how hurt he looked. Suddenly she wondered what he must be feeling right then, and if he was mad at her. She could feel her heart sinking into her stomach, almost making her forget that Keefe had been talking.

"Just, don't worry about it know, alright? Anyway, they aren't _that_ bad.

"You don't have to live with them." She grumbled as she tried to decide what to do next, and if she should leave.

He didn't say anything else about it after that, but he started finding dresses for her with sleeves. The only problem was the sleeves drove her crazy. They rubbed against the scar's ridges in a way that made her spine craw, and she was always roasting.

Maybe, maybe she could _try_ to get used to short sleeves…

After they had figured out what colors worked on her, and what dress styles looked good on her, _and_ took all of her measurements, she ended up with five dresses for her efforts. _Five_. Five of the nearly hundred she had tried on.

Collapsing on the sofa as Keefe talked to the woman she still didn't know the name of, she tried to recall them in her head. One was a wispy, Greek goddess styled lavender dress with tiny amethyst blossoms decorating the neckline and bottom. Sheer sleeves ran down to the waist line, covering her arms just enough to hide the scars, but not actually touch anything. Another was a red dress with a small slit in the side that ran to just below her knee. Blood red garnets dotted the increasingly dark skirt as it went down. And then there was the teal ball gown, the only fluffy, princess type of anything she got. Keefe mumbled something about "Wonderboy" having an influence on her when she insisted on the teal dress, and not the sky blue or navy blue or lapis blue version he tried to introduce. But she loved it, and even though Fitz's eyes were an amazing teal color, her love for it had existed long before she knew him, filling her dreams with a feeling of hope. But the dress, as poufy and swishy as it was, was like something out of a movie. It bellowed out from below the sash on her waist, which was an almost black with sapphire blue stones swirling around, sparkling like waves when she moved. The sweetheart shaped bodice and half sleeves were even better, with more of the stones running along the neckline.

And then there was the emerald green dress. It was beyond over the top, encrusted with peridot and emeralds in elaborate patterns that made her head spin, and the layers upon layers of fabric made her feel like she was trying to walk in bubble wrap.

"Why do I even have to get this? I'm never going to wear it." She complained as she waddled around the room in the matching heels he insisted she got. "And heels, really? This is beyond what a normal person should wear. I'm going to fall into a mud puddle, I just know it."

"Biana says that every girl needs a pair of heels, and if you're going to get some, it might as well be for that. And, let's hope you don't have to ever wear this. This last time I wore green… Let's just say you don't want to wear it."

Izzy stared at him in confusion as his voice caught. "Why, what does it mean? Is green a bad thing?"

Keefe didn't answer, so with a floooosh of her dress on the sofa, she sat down on next to him and pouted.

"Hey, so next dress." He jumped up and started walking to a rack of dresses.

"I told you about my scars."

Keefe didn't move, and seconds ticked by before he finally spoke. "The last time I wore green, was to your funeral."

"Oh." She stared at the floor, about to apologize for asking about a sensitive subject, until it actually sunk in. "Wait, what?!" She jumped up. "But I'm not dead!"

"Don't you realize why everyone is so careful around you Izzy? We didn't think you were missing, we thought you were dead."

Something about his eyes showed a sadness, and annoyance, like it was a bother to bring it up. It probably was.

"So, this dress." Keefe said as he tossed her another one. The tension in the air was suffocating, and as much as he wanted to ask more questions, something about his actions made it very obvious he did _not_ want to talk.

Sighing, she shook herself out of her thoughts and resolved herself to ask Fitz when she got back, if he wasn't too mad at her…

Keefe walked back towards the sofa, holding a bag up to show he had bought the dresses, and once again pulled her away from her thoughts. "They have your information on file, so next time you can just buy dresses and not have to try them all on. Sounds pretty good, huh?"

Izzy groaned.

Laughing, he pulled her off of the sofa. "Come on, we've still got more things to do!"

"No more dresses." She cried. "Or clothes."

"Agreed." He laughed, handing her a familiar looking potion.

Cringing, she sighed and held it up. "Why do I have to drink this?"

"So we don't get in trouble, and so no one recognizes you. Plus, when Golden Boy finds us, it will give him the shock of a lifetime!"

She went to open her mouth, to ask why she needed to hide her eyes, but the dresses had sucked the energy out of her. She swallowed the foot potion as quickly as possible before handing him the empty bottle.

He smiled. "Good, now we've got a while! Hey, and your eyes now match your dress!"

Izzy glanced down at the sky blue dress she had just bought, and decided to wear. It was much more casual than the others she had gotten. Sapphires formed flowers across the bodice and dotted the short sleeves like raindrops, and it swished with every step she took. She still wore the black boots Keefe had stolen from Biana, and she had to admit it would be very hard to give them back. If all shoes felt like clouds wrapped around her feet, she would collect them too!

"Onwards!" Keefe cheered before grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the street.

She lost track of the number of places they went to after that. Even the scorpion things were beginning to grow on her. The one thing she couldn't understand were the signs many of the shops boasted. Mushed together letters that spelled words like elven food looked seemed to be displayed in a proud manner. It made no sense, but this was _Atlantis_. It didn't have to.

Keefe chuckled as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, interrupting another one of her staring at the world sessions. She jumped as his fingers touched her scars.

"Geez, we've been here for like what, six, seven hours now? I've never seen someone so memorized by a bunch of buildings!"

Keefe smirked and looked back, only to notice her rubbing her arms nervously.

"Ah, are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine." She forced a smile. "I'm alright. Also, _seven hours_?! Will Fitz be mad?"

Keefe seemed to notice, but he didn't press her any farther, instead he just rolled his eyes. "You worry about what he thinks _waaay_ too much. Careful, he's a bad influence. Plus, worst case scenario you can always crash at my place. I've got a few guest rooms."

Izzy sighed. "Thanks, but I'm _really_ hoping it won't come to that."

"Suit yourself." He smiled. "I make an _awesome_ host for, well, everything! And at the Keefe House, fun is our middle name!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that was bad. I've been spending a lot of days all stuffy and serious. It's wearing on y jokes _big time_. But hey, at least I can say I own a house, unlike Captain Perfect!"

"Why are you always in competition with him?"

Keefe shrugged. "Long story, buuuut, where to next?"

Sighing, Izzy gave up. Cocking her head slightly and frowning, her eyebrows wrinkled in thought. "What _haven't_ we got?" She asked, looking to make sure he still had her music box.

Keefe made a humming noise in thought as Izzy's stomach loudly growled. Laughing, he pointed a finger at her. "That."

"Right. You _kidnapped_ me before I could even get breakfast. There seems to be a lot of that going around." She grumbled the last part.

Keefe just laughed. "Well, unless you know something I don't, the seed incubator _isn't_ where you get food from."

"What, but I was going to the frig…"

"The what?" Keefe raised his eyebrows before shaking his head. "Well, whatever _that_ is, you were staring at the S.I, so yeah, no food there. Well unless you want to pretend to be a giant monster destroying a super tiny baby forest, but that would just be wrong. Face it Fos-um, Izinator, I _saved_ you from starvation. You owe me your life." He smirked at her as they walked down a busy square.

"Yeah, right." She sighed, shaking her head as a smile to creep up her lips. "Well I guess that makes us almost even. You did nearly suffocate me."

"Hey," he laughed, "that was your own doing. Mostly. But sure, even sounds good."

"I said _almost_ even, though today does make up for it. I actually had a really good time today. Thank you, Keefe. Minus the Tunnel of Death, it's the first time since I came here that I haven't had to worry about anything. This really meant a lot to me."

Keefe stopped for a second, causing her to almost crash into him. He turned, a hint of, something, in his eyes. As he opened his mouth the slightest bit, like he wanted to say something, he looked… lost, and vulnerable, but he just shook his head and it vanished, a bright smile covering it up. "Glad I could help. Sounds like my mission was a success, right? You really are lucky to have me around." He shot her a wink, causing her to roll her eyes yet again.

"So, how about this café?" He pointed towards a restaurant only a few feet from them. Izzy wanted to ask further, but she did barely know him, and the calming fragrance of honeysuckles and orange that wafted through the air told her it could wait. It was weird how elven things affected her, not that she minded it this time. Pushing the thought out of her head, she nodded and followed him in. The blue ivy twisted around the café's red exterior, releasing a wave over them as they walked under the arched doorway. It made everything seem ok, even happy.

When they finished their meal of what tasted like the best Tilapia, buttery mashed potatoes, and a bowl of something so amazing and smoky sweet that no human food could compare, Keefe sat the holographic disk on the center of the table and pressed a small black button on the side. The map jumped to life, and he spun it a few times to show her how cool it really was.

"So," He rested his cheek on his fist as he scanned the map out with two fingers. "We should have enough time for a few more stops. Golden Boy is probably freaking by now though, so maybe one or two. Your call."

Izzy felt very much like laying her head on the table and falling asleep right there. When they were moving, she had all the energy in the world, but now that they had stopped, mixed with an over stuffing of food, she was more exhausted than ever.

"Umm, do any of them involve sleep? Because I could use some of that…" She muttered.

"Hey, come on! Sleep is _not_ part of the Awesome Plan! We've only got so much time. What should-"

Keefe's eyes grew as he muttered a choice word.

"What?" Izzy whispered, turning to follow his stare out the window.

"Vacker Attacker." Keefe muttered.

Izzy scanned the crowd. "What _did_ you do to make them not like you? Or is it the other way around?"

Keefe shook his head. "Looong story."

"You _always_ say that."

"Because it's true."

Izzy couldn't see anyone that stood out as a Vacker in the sea of people, but it wasn't like they had giant neon labels slapped across their foreheads. Even though she couldn't see them, she knew something was happening. The crowd gathering outside seemed, anxious, excited, a buzz like a million honey bees sweeping through them with enthusiastic anticipation.

"Why are they acting like that?" Izzy muttered to Keefe as a young boy ran out of the restaurant, pulling his mother along to join the crowd.

"The Vackers are as close as it comes to royalty here. Fitz and Biana's ancestors created the government that our society runs on, and when the humans were planning to break the agreement and attack us, they were the ones who saved us."

"Woah, that's… wow. Wait, agreement? The humans were going to attack? But-"

Keefe pointed back to the window. Izzy sighed at the weight of the quickly gathering questions and looked out just in time to see the crowd split. A figure that seemed even larger than life walked forward. His familiar dark hair and bright smile were only accentuated by his ankle length cape which shifted between purple and blue, never quite stopping on one or the other. Every swish of his cape seemed to separate the ever-growing crowd. One child pointed up at his circlet, which matched the gem encrusted cape.

Keefe groaned and face palmed as he walked straight towards the café, his intense cobalt blue eyes staring right at them.

Izzy could feel her own eyes growing as she turned towards Keefe. "You think he saw us?"

"Yeah, he saw us." Keefe grumbled. "And he's coming right over."

Izzy groaned. "This doesn't seem good."

"It's not." Keefe put one plate onto another a bit too hard before standing up stiffly. "And we're, no, _I'm_ in a _lot_ more trouble than I thought."

The door made a bell like noise as it opened and shut. The woman at the counter began stumbling over her words, a dark red blush covering her cheeks as she tried to offer the man a menu. He raised his hand, and said a few words back, somehow refusing her _and_ making her almost swoon. Within a few seconds, he was in front of them, Keefe swearing under his breath.

"Is that any way to speak in front of a councilor?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Izzy, this is Fitz and Biana's older brother. _Councilor_ Alvar. And he's here to ruin the party." Keefe frowned. "He lost all of his coolness when he left the ogres and took up the crown.

"Hello, Sophie." Alvar smiled, reaching a hand out. "Don't listen to him, I just grew up. You probably don't remember me, but we met a long time ago, albeit briefly. It's nice to see your safe."

Izzy shook his hand, unsure how to react. "Umm, thank you."

"We'd better go find Fitz, he's been looking for you both for a while now, and he is _beyond_ furious."

Keefe gave a laugh and rolled his eyes as Izzy almost audibly gulped.

"Don't worry, he's not mad at you." Alvar reassured her. "Neither am I. You didn't know any better, and Keefe, an _emissary_ , should know _much_ better." He threw Keefe a halfhearted glare, like he didn't really want to berate him but had to at least be upset.

Keefe just shrugged. "Well, as an emissary, I was taking care of the mental health and sanity of a long lost elf who was locked up with your brother! The council should thank me!"

Alvar just shook his head and sighed. "We'll come up with a better story than that."


	26. Exploding Heart

Happy Exam Week! Yay! Jk... But here's to almost Summer and surviving another year! Yay! Just a little while longer to hang on! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, there is some fluff I'm pretty darn proud of. ;) Also I'm almost done my biggest art picture yet! (And in no time flat! Watching videos really does pay off!) If you get a chance probably by the end of the day my Biana fanart will posted on Deviant Art. (You can find me as SeiriosSol). Now, onto the chapter! :D

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Alvar led the two through the streets as he pulled out a thin metal square. With the press of a button Fitz's stressed out face appeared on the screen.

"Did you find her yet?" He asked, his eyes intensely peering as he ran a hand through his hair over and over again.

"Yes. She's here, and she's safe. No one realizes it's her yet." Alvar calmly stated with his heavy matching accent.

The screen flicked off suddenly, leaving Alvar to sigh and force a smile. "He's just worried." He reassured Izzy.

Izzy nodded in response, but the knot tightening in her stomach made her wonder if she made the right choice to leave in the first place. Watching his eyes frantically search the screen filled her with guilt, and it only worsened when she saw him through the crowd. He looked like he hadn't slept, dark circles cradling his eyes, and his hair stuck out in every direction.

When their eyes met, it sent an electric shock through her heart. His bright teal eyes looked sharp as they narrowed, less sparkle to them than normal. And then he ran towards them.

Izzy had expected a hug, or a lecture, or an "Are you ok?!" Even, "What were you thinking, how could I ever trust you again?!" ran through her head, but instead she watched helplessly as he ran towards her, then didn't stop. Next thing she knew a giant _whomp_ filled the air. Keefe was sprawled out on the ground as Fitz screamed over him.

Izzy turned and stared at Alvar with wide eyes; he returned the look. People began to watch and whisper as Fitz's voice filled the square.

"-AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER THAT MAYBE SHE'S _NOT_ SAFE OUTSIDE EVERGLENN, OR THAT I HAD _A PLAN_! HOW DARE YOU *^%$# # BARGE IN AND SWOOP HER AWAY WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW _WHAT'S_ HAPPENING! I-"

"Fitz!" Alvar loudly snapped, grabbing his shoulder hard enough to shock him out of it for a second. "You're drawing too much attention. If you want to scream your feelings out at Keefe, do it at home. I'm sure Dad would love to join you. In the meantime, it's not safe for Sophie. People _are_ starting to take notice."

Fitz opened his mouth, only to close it and shake his head. Without another word he grabbed Izzy's hand and pulled her away.

Izzy wasn't quite sure how to react, but looking back and seeing how Keefe's eyes tightened, an intense and deep anger filling them, she didn't pull away either.

The rest of the _very_ long walk was filled with silence. Awkward, tense, unbearable silence. Occasionally she could hear Alvar and Keefe whispering under their breaths, but they fell back a bit, Alvar convincing him that angering Fitz further was not in his favor. Then it was silent again.

Fitz didn't pull her along anymore, but his hand was still wrapped around hers too tightly, causing her fingers to go numb.

Unable to take the quiet any longer, Izzy sighed. "I'm sorry I left. It was stupid, and, well- I just thought, I mean it sounded like fun, and, and, well, I wanted to see more of the world, and-"

"I thought you were dead." Fitz whispered quietly. "Again."

Shock filled her feet like ice, causing him to accidentally pull her forward when she froze to the ground. Wanting to keep the distance between Fitz and Keefe however, she quickly forced herself forward.

"What? I mean, what?! Why would you think that? I left a note…"

Fitz ran a hand through his messy hair, a giant, hard frown cracked into his face, pulling down the corners of his eyes. "Yeah, but then you also transmitted to me that you were dying and needed help. You said you couldn't breathe. I thought-"

"Transmit?"

"All elves have abilities. Yours is telepathy, same as mine. I was going to teach you about it today…"

"Woah, woah, woah. Telepathy? Isn't that-" Then it hit her. Atlantis was real, elves were real, why not telepathy? "Nevermind. Um, sorry… I um, didn't know I could "transmit," whatever that is, or, _read minds_ … But, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm _really_ sorry."

Fitz stared at her from the corner of his eye. He looked, broken, like he could shatter apart at any second, or punch Keefe again. A few seconds passed before he spoke, his voice quiet and emotionless. "Why couldn't you breathe? What happened?"

Izzy pulled on an itchy eyelash before flicking it away, unsure how he would react. "Umm, well Keefe threw me into a whirlpool, and I forgot to breath…"

This time Fitz almost stopped walking, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to form words. Izzy walked a bit faster, hoping it would keep him from doing anything stupid.

"I'm going to kill him." Fitz growl, running a hand through his hair yet again. He must have noticed how wide Izzy's eyes grew, because a slight smile crossed his lips. "Not literally. Don't worry, as much as I hate him, I don't think I could go farther than punching him."

"You say that like it's a regular thing."

Fitz shrugged. "It's not uncommon, but he always returns the gesture tenfold."

"What _happened_ to make you both hate each other so much?"

Sighing again, Fitz glanced back. "It's… a long story."

Izzy groaned, causing Fitz to raise an eyebrow. "You sound just like him."

"I hope not. His accent is stupid."

Izzy did a double take. Didn't everyone _but_ the Vacker's sound the same? Then she noticed the growing smile.

"Was that, a joke?"

"What, I can't make jokes? I'm not all serious you know."

Izzy couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm glad your safe Izzy." Fitz eventually choked out as they walked along the Sea Oat lined path.

"Me too." She smiled, squeezing his hand a little bit.

From where they stood at the dome's edge, finally reaching the end of the path, Atlantis looked like it had been plucked out of her music box and placed on the ground. A giant wand like tower grew out of the sand, casting a shadow over them. As Fitz's footsteps slowed, Izzy looked nervously back, hoping to meet Alvar's eyes again. The whole walk they had this unspoken agreement to keep the peace. It was definitely hard, since she had to all but jog to keep up with Fitz, every step he took equaling three of hers. Her calves burned like they had been set on fire, but it was worth it if no one else got hurt. However, something was off. This time, when she looked back, there was no Alvar smiling sympathetically in her direction, no furious, glaring Keefe to burn holes in Fitz's head. Suddenly, it was just the two of them.

"I think we lost them…" Izzy sighed, not sure what was the best option at this point.

"Keefe probably did something stupid." Fitz gruffly stated.

Rolling her eyes, Izzy just frowned, "Shouldn't we go look for them? Maybe the path veers off and-"

"No." He led her towards the tower, and even though she had dug her heels into the ground, he didn't even seem to notice. "They are adults, they can find their own way. The most important thing is right now is that you're somewhere safe. Anyway," He added with a forced smile, "I think you're going to like this part."

Fitz positioned her on a circle under the tower before standing next to her. He seemed like he was waiting for something, but with too much on her mind, Izzy just tugged on a few eyelashes and tried to push her thoughts to the side. She could deal with them later.

"Don't worry about them, really. They'll be fine. Alvar is probably prepping Keefe on what story to tell the Council anyway."

Izzy shrugged, but as a whirling noise filled the air, a giant, metal hoops dropping out of the sky, she suddenly had much bigger problems to worry about.

"Are you sure this is safe?!" She squeaked as she took a large step closer to Fitz.

"I'm sure. Promise."

Meeting his eyes, she tried to ignore the way her face lit on fire. Then the circle surrounded them, resting only a few feet above the ground. Izzy grabbed Fitz's arm, taking another step away from the circle as he chuckled.

"I'm trusting you with this!" She yelled over the sound as a thick, rainbow filled coating began to form around them, the circle having spilt into two pieces. They spun around them like a sphere of death, twirling faster and faster with every second.

"And I'm standing right beside you." He flashed a movie star worth smile that made her almost feel her heart melting into a puddle and dripping off her ribcage. Maybe that was why it made it hard to breathe…

Then, without another warning, the circles spun faster and faster, ripping off the ground and chucking their giant bubble into the sky. Izzy screamed. Fitz said something, but it faded under her voice.

Suddenly the bubble all but stopped, sending them crashing into the side. It didn't feel like what she would have expected. It was hard and warm, but as it made a gasp for breath, Izzy suddenly realized what she had _actually_ crashed into. Her eyes shot open, only to find his inches away.

As her brain went into massive chaos mode, he just smiled.

"Well, I _did_ promise you wouldn't get hurt." He laughed. "Hopefully I made a good landing pillow."

She could almost feel the smoke coming out of her tomato red ears. "I, umm, sorry, for falling on you…" She stuttered as she attempted to push herself up.

"It's fine, really. Something must need calibration in the machine, it's usually a _much_ smoother ride, and relaxing. That was a bit-"

A wind had picked up the bubble, raising it into the sky and causing it to tilt. Her hand slipped against the bubble's strange surface. Fitz managed to catch her at the last second, and with both hands on her shoulders, he helped her steady herself.

"Maybe we should stay sitting, at least until you get used to it."

"Maybe…" She muttered, her brain too focused on how close she had come to accidentally kissing him.

He said something about the machine and contacting someone, but her brain was spinning faster than the metal hoops.

The rest of the ride was relaxing. Once she got over the whole heart-about-to-explode thing, it was a lot of fun. The rainbows in the bubble had vanished, leaving a crystal-clear view to everything. If it wasn't for the slight sheen, she would have believed she was flying. Unfortunately, Fitz said that was an impossible ability. But she still had the giddy feeling of weightlessness, and the view made it even better. She felt kind of childish, but she couldn't help constantly giggling and pressing her face against the bubble. Fitz didn't seem to mind though, as he kept pointing to different places he recognized. Eventually they just stared at the clouds for a while, finding strange and funny sounding things hidden in the shapes. At least, they were strange to her, since most everything he compared them to was something she had never even heard of. Maybe being trapped in a bubble as it floated along the wind, with a really cute boy inside, wasn't such a bad thing.

Eventually it landed seamlessly and calmly on the same cliff she had been on earlier with Keefe. Fitz helped her up like a complete gentleman, making her cheeks tinge red, and then he pulled out the last thing she wanted to see.

"What's wrong?" Fitz asked, eyebrow raised as Izzy made sure a good ten feet separated them.

"NO! _Not_ doing it!" She pointed at the wand in his hand as he twisted the crystal and locked in one of the facets. She had seen that movement before, and she was _not_ doing it again!

"What? What's wrong with light leaping?"

"I just, _no_ , I'll walk, or take another bubble, or… what other ways can I travel here?"

The corners of his mouth tugged up, like he was holding in a laugh, and then it vanished. The stars in his eyes went a bit dim as he took a deep breath. "Keefe." He all but growled.

"Yeah…"

"Look, Izzy," he ran a hand through his hair and took a step towards her. "I don't know what ridiculous thing he decided to do this time, but I'm not him." He held his hand out, as if to ask her to take it. "I won't let anything happen."

Izzy pouted a bit, staring at the sparkling gem as it shone a beam of light onto the grassy ground. Before she knew what happened, Fitz had crossed the distance between then and clasped a cuff around her wrist, a large teal stone glittering back at her, swirls of diamonds decorating the sides.

When he let go, she tried to pretend it didn't have such an effect on her. She had never seen anything like it before. It was, beautiful. It was also the first time anyone, but especially a boy, a really _cute_ boy, had given her jewelry.

She stared at the large stone, running a finger over it and pretending it didn't make her heart race due to a striking resemblance. Part of her wondered if he noticed… Wasn't it kind of weird to give someone he barely knew something like this?

"I don't know if it's something you still like," He cut through her thoughts. "I can always get you a new one, but I remember teal was your favorite color. My mom actually got this for you."

"Thank you." She choked out before meeting his eyes and smiling. "No, teal _is_ my favorite color." Her eyes grew slightly as she realized what she had just potentially admitted to… "Uh, well I mean it was a color I grew up with that I really always liked, a lot, and um, well my mom always wore it. And," Blushing even more when she realized she was rambling, she looked up. He just kept smiling kindly at her, like he actually cared about what she was chattering on about. "And it's beautiful. Thank you. But… why now?" She stared at the wand in his other hand while wishing time travel was an ability so she could erase that whole spiel.

Fitz's eyes followed her gaze, so he gave her a reassuring smile. "It's called a Nexus. It puts a barrier over you when you light leap, so that your atoms don't become too scattered until you learn to concentrate."

It must have been the look she gave him, because he just sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. "Keefe didn't tell you anything about this, did he."

Izzy rubbed her arm nervously. "Not really. He sort of just, pulled me in."

Fitz seemed to quickly hide the growing frown that began to take over his face. He carefully took her hand and gave her a small smile.

"Well, I would never do that, and I can teach you all about the science behind it when we get back to Everglenn. Unfortunately, though, this is the only way back. You trust me, right?" He added as she looked a bit green.

"Yeah." She sighed, a bit annoyed. "Yeah, I trust you. I already said I do."

"I'm just checking. I don't want to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with, and I know it's not been an easy few days for you. But, if for some reason anything does happen, not that it would," He quickly said, "you can punch in the arm me as hard as you want. Deal?"

"Even harder than you punched Keefe?"

"If you can do that, sure!" He laughed.

"Then deal." She smiled nervously, not that she could _actually_ punch him. "I don't really have a choice anyway, so let's get this over with."

As Fitz held up the wand, Izzy squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath as he reassured her. Then the light surrounded them, like a million feathers rushing under her skin. Then a cool breath sent them scattering away, and the blindingly bright gate of what she assumed was Everglenn came into view.


	27. Trust

Izzy flicked an eyelash to the ground as she sat rigidly on a plush sofa in the living room at Everglenn. A faint mummer could be heard from the open door of Alden's office, where Fitz filled him in on the events of the day. Izzy tried to keep herself awake, but the sofa was just _so_ soft, and the quiet didn't help. One of the windows showed a slowly lowering sun as it drifted lazily towards the horizon, one tiny inch at a time. Where were they? That was what Fitz was undoubtedly asking himself as well. It had been over half an hour since the two had returned to the house, and Keefe and Alvar were still nowhere to be seen. Izzy rubbed an eye and yawned, finally giving up enough to let her head hit the other side of the sofa, her body almost melting into the pillows. It felt wrong. This wasn't her house, and yet here she was, taking a nap on some sofa. She knew they wouldn't mind though, and honestly she was just so tired she barely even cared

Just as she closed her eyes though, soft footsteps hit the carpet. Izzy flicked her eyes open, awkwardly jumping up to a seated position.

"Sorry." Fitz whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"No, it's fine, I wasn't sleeping." She scooted over, motioning stiffly to the now empty seat so that he knew he could sit there, if he wanted.

Fitz smiled, sitting next to her with a soft poosh. "Tired?"

"A little bit." Izzy shrugged before a yawn over took her body. A blush fell over her cheeks as he gave a small laugh.

"I haven't heard everything that's happened yet, but it sounds like you had a pretty eventful day." Even though he was smiling, Izzy could still hear an edge to his voice, and his smile didn't fully reach his eyes.

"Yeah, Keefe took me dress shopping." She pouted, hoping it would lighten the mood.

Fitz's eyebrows slammed together in confusion, like she had just told him elves existed and he wasn't really a human, then he burst out laughing.

"Keefe? Are you sure? _Keefe_ took you dress shopping?!" He choked out between laughs.

Her back was even more tense, and she tugged on another itchy eyelash before flicking it away. "Yeah…" She hesitantly said, taken back by his reaction.

As his laughter died down, he shook his head and smiled widely. "That's not good Soph-Izzy. Sorry, _Izzy_. He's not exactly known for his talent at fashion. In fact, his parents bought his clothes up until, well, I think they still do. Plus, he _always_ wore them _very_ wrinkled, and they never fit him quite right. I don't know if he's capable of choosing dresses."

Izzy smiled playfully, "Are you saying you are capable?"

"Well, with the amount of times my mom and sister have forced me on dress shopping trips, I'd say I'm more than capable. I can't even leave the house to get a pen without her taking us cloth shopping!"

"I guess I'll ask for your help next time, though I'm kind of hoping there won't _be_ a next time."

"I understand that feeling _perfectly_." He smiled before standing up. He took a step, like he had something to do, but suddenly froze and turned back. "So, are you going to show me the dresses you got? You've made me curious now. No polka dots _and_ stripes I'm hoping?"

Izzy just rolled her eyes, blushing a bit at the thought Fitz wanted to see her in a dress, though it was more like he wanted to see the dresses, and how bad they were… Close enough, right? "Keefe still has them. This is the only one with my right now."

She motioned to the flowy, sky blue sun dress she was wearing.

"Hmm, maybe he's not completely bad at it then. I rather like that one on you." Fitz smiled, sending an inferno through her face. "I'll look forward to seeing the others!" He laughed, before walking back to his father's office.

Once he was out of sight, the flopped herself onto the sofa, spreading out like it was her own bed. He didn't make sense. Was he complimenting her, or… not? Sometimes he was like a walking contradiction... Either that or she just overthinking things far too much. But she couldn't stop herself, and before she knew it sleep quickly grabbed her, pulling her into a dreamless world.

The nightmares were only broken by the occasional scene of reality. Fitz checking on her again, dark figures circling, Della draping a blanket over her, fire burning her arms, Fitz shushing Alvar, screams echoing off walls. It continued on like that until Alden's furious voice boomed something across the house. She had never heard him sound so angry before, and then Della's shoes click clacked quickly across the living room, rushing into the kitchen and then back again. Something told her she should get up. A fear tugged at her heart, warning her that they could be under attack, that the dark figures could be back for her. However, when she peeled herself off the sofa, she found the house was dead silent.

Just as the panic hit her, a loud noise sounded from outside. She ran, hoping, wishing everyone was ok.

Throwing open the door, letting the sounds lead her bare feet across the cold, spongy, grass carpet, she finally found the source.

"What happened?!" Izzy breathed as she stopped next to a worried stricken Della.

Della wrung her hands, staring at the chaos and back to the first aid kit sitting by her feet. "They're fighting again."

As Fitz and Keefe rolled around on the ground, exchanging punches and screaming at each other, Alden massaged his temples. Alvar yelled at them, trying to get in between the two, but every time he did he was accidentally pushed or punched or nearly knocked over.

As Fitz got on top of Keefe, punching him repeatedly in the face with surprising fury, a man ran into view. His giant glasses and crazy hair stood out among the faces, only he seemed to be in any sort of hurry.

Izzy shook her head, clearing it of sleepiness and shock. She had to do _something_.

She looked around for things to use, but there was nothing that could help her. Then she remembered what Fitz had told her earlier, something called "Transmitting." Maybe if she could do that, maybe-

A loud, piercing shriek, like a thousand screaming cats were singing along to nails on chalkboards and an army of off pitched elephants filled the air. The haunting sound swallowed her brain, knocking the thoughts and wind out of her. Suddenly it was hard to breathe, hard to stand. She fought the urge to fall over from the pain as she searched the clearing for the source. Her vision started to blur as it suddenly ceased, the wild haired man holding some contraption into the air, even stranger orange and pink earmuffs covering his ears. He glared down at Fitz and Keefe, who were shuddering on the ground, their eyes slammed closed and their hands cupped over their ears.

"Really, do I _have_ to use a banshee scream every time you two have some little argument?" He yelled with a sigh before peeling off his earmuffs and talking normally. "I'm going to run out of supplies at this rate."

Keefe and Fitz immediately started yelling, trying to tell him what happened.

Alden put his hand up, causing both of them to fall silent. "I would say I'm disappointed, but I think we have covered that enough by now. Both of you go get treated and cleaned up. Then, _Keefe_ , I need to see _you_ in my office."

"Why does it always-" Keefe started.

"Next time Elwin won't be coming, and you'll both have to learn what it feels like to let your wounds heal naturally." Alden snapped, glaring at both of them, but especially Fitz.

"Yes, sir." Fitz replied, hanging his head. Keefe just pouted and glared at the ground.

After that Della led Izzy inside, and as she put the kit away she told her not to worry. It didn't really help all that much though. She had a strong suspicion she was the cause of this, but if they fought all the time, at least it meant it wasn't _totally_ because of her.

Izzy helped Della set the table for dinner while Della asked her details about the day. She could tell Della was trying to strategically get the information, but it didn't really bother her. She didn't have anything to hide after all. There was one thing that did bother her though…

"Before all of that though," Izzy recalled as she put down another set of fork and knives, "we went to a potion shop, I think it was called Burps, and umm, something. The man there-"

"Slurps and Burps?" Della gasped.

"Umm, yeah…?"

Suddenly Della's normally kind gaze turned cold as she stared at a blue crystal plate she was putting down.

"Is, that bad?"

"It's…" Della sighed, eyes suddenly looking very tired and dreary as they met hers. She put the stack of plates she was carrying down. "Who did you see there?"

"A man, um, the owner of the shop I think? He, looked at me strangely, like he knew me. He, seemed so sad."

Della just gave a sad smile and returned to placing the plates. "How much have you been told about your disappearance? Has Fitz told you anything?"

"No. No one will really tell me anything, though Keefe did say I wasn't the first elf to go missing."

"Well, the man you saw is your uncle…" She hesitantly started. "He probably just didn't realize you were back…" Her voice caught at the end, like she was holding back a sob. She went to say something else, but as Biana walked into the room, she gave a very fake smile to her and motioned her over.

"Izzy, why don't you go tell the boys dinner will be ready in five minutes?" She shakily said, her head turned towards the sink.

"Is everything ok?" Biana whispered under her breath to Della, putting a hand on her mom's shoulder before looking between the two.

Izzy nodded her head sharply. She didn't know what she had said, but it definitely wasn't good. Deciding to put that on the list of things _not_ to ask, she all but ran out of the room. Rushing towards Alden's office, she could hear their loud voices sounding from outside.

"You had _no right_ to take her away Keefe! Do you realize that?! No right! She is under _my_ supervision, she is _my_ mission, and I don't need you messing up _anything else_ , got it?! I have _everything_ planned out, and you're ruining it all!" Fitz yelled. Izzy froze at the door, unsure if she wanted to interrupt and get in between the two. What if she just made it worse? She had already just done that… But, standing there was the same as ease dropping, right? So, maybe she-

"Well _at least_ she wasn't stuck here with you, the _delinquent_ of the Vacker legacy! Everyone sees you as the black sheep, and you know it! You weren't going to show her the outside of this stuffy old prison, you were just going to keep her here and use her for every bit she was worth until you got your title of Golden Boy back! Once they found out you had _saved_ the Girl-Who-Was-Lost, you'd be a hero again, and you knew it all along!

"Shut up Keefe! You don't know what you're talking about! I would never, ever use her like that! Plus, I didn't spend all of these years searching for her just to change other's opinions of me! And what if she isn't _ready_ to go outside yet! She still has so much to learn about our world, and if we make the same mistakes we made last time, we won't _get_ another chance!"

"You're right, that's not your main reason, but I heard what happened in the Elite Tower, I know why you're _really_ searching for her. _She_ told me." Keefe snarled, his voice almost a whisper. "I think everyone on the Council knows by this point, I know at least I'm not the only one, and I know what will happen if things don't go your way. But you can't pull her into your web, she's a breathing, living elf, and you're just using her to save yourself! You're obsessed! Admit it." Keefe snarled. Izzy peered in through the crack in the door, watching as they glared each other down, their noses all but touching. Fitz hesitated, like something Keefe had said had struck a nerve. Izzy's heart banged painfully against her chest so loudly she knew they must hear it, but no one moved. She head screamed at him over and over again to deny it, to tell him off, to maybe elaborate of who _she_ was, but most importantly to let him who important Izzy really was to him! He had been searching for her for so long after all! Right?! Then Fitz took a step back. Adjusting his collar like he suddenly couldn't breathe, he swallowed a few mouthfuls of air, but Keefe wasn't done. "You don't care _what_ happens to her, she's just a stepping stone in your plan. You're using her just like you used me, and when you're done you'll throw her away, just like you did me."

Izzy took a step back, unsure how to process that, or what that actually meant. The words clanged around her head, but somehow they weighed far too much to sink in.

"That's-" Fitz choked out. "I didn't throw you away. I-" The floor creaked under Izzy's foot, causing them both to freeze.

Fitz whipped around, a panicked look overtaking his eyes as he rushed to the door.

Izzy couldn't comprehend what she had heard, or what it meant, but she knew she couldn't handle it right now. If she did, it meant the only world she had left would come crashing down, and she would lose it. Right now she had to be brave, she had to push the words away into some dark corner of her brain, because if she didn't, she would never, ever get back up again.

She ran, not even fully grasping where her feet were taking her. She just knew she couldn't be caught, because if she was, she could never pretend it was all ok again.

She sprinted past the multicolored fountains that lined the hallway, past the elegant foyer, past the luxury that suddenly seemed so empty and cold, like a ghost hiding behind a mirror. The room felt like it was closing in, pushing on her lungs.

"Oh, your back." Della forced a smiled as she stopped at the edge of the kitchen.

"Um, yeah." Izzy attempted the same, though it made her feel more like she was doing a Joker impression. "I, um, have to borrow Biana, really quickly." She said as she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto the patio.

"Oh, ok…?" Della said with a head cock before turning back to the dishes.

"What's wrong?" Biana questioned, raising an eyebrow at Izzy's heavy breathing.

"Overheard, Fitz and Keefe. _Please, PLEASE_ , say it was you! I'll make it up to you, just, please-Right now, I can't-"

"Sure." She responded without hesitation. "So-"

"Umm, Izzy…" Fitz's voice sounded from behind them, making her jump. "I,-"

"Sorry, it was me." Biana said, twirling around and meeting Fitz's pale face with a smile. "I just ran because I didn't want to start another fight, especially with how you and Keefe are. I figured I would just get in the way again." Biana nonchalantly said.

"Oh! I, ok." He nodded, obviously shocked and somewhat relieved. "About what I said…" He hesitated, glancing at Izzy and back to Biana, making Izzy's stomach churn.

"Don't worry about it. It'll stay our little secret." She smiled, dripping with syrup.

He opened his mouth once or twice before sheepishly smiling back and nodding. "Thanks…"

Fitz went back inside, and she could hear the clang of food and dishes as what was her new normal resumed, like someone had hit the play button on the remote.

"So, what was that all about?" Biana whispered. "I haven't seen him look that guilty in a _long_ time! Not since he hid my teddy bear as a joke when I was six!"

"Umm, it was… complicated." Izzy breathed.

Raising an eyebrow, she shook her head. "Don't take what he says to Keefe too seriously. Those two haven't gotten along in ages. I should know, I'm constantly stuck in the middle of their arguments."

Izzy just nodded her head, thanking her, but it didn't help. Because it wasn't what Fitz had said at all. It was what Keefe said, and what Fitz _didn't_ say, but that wasn't the same, was it? He wasn't saying things he didn't mean to win a fight, no, he had all but admitted to using her. She didn't know what it all meant, or how that helped him, but as the realization hit her she knew she couldn't go in there and pretend everything was ok. Because it wasn't. The one person she gave her full trust to, after facing so much, and it was probably all just a lie. She frowned and fingered the large, sparkly teal gem on her Nexus. Something about the stars in it suddenly made her feel sick.

Biana went in, and she promised to follow in a minute or two, claiming the night air would be good for her headache. Leaning against the wall and letting her body drop onto the stone floor, she took a few deep breaths, willing the tears and exhaustion to fade into the background. It was just one guy, one guy she barely knew. She would get over this. She had gotten over much, much worse already. This was no big deal.

"Hey, "Fitz's voice gently sounded from above her after a few moments of silence, "are you ok Izzy?"

Snapping her eyes open, she couldn't help but stare into his impossibly teal eyes, the way they shimmered with concern making her feel even more nauseous than she already was. She could feel her heart thump thumping with extra effort as she took another, deep breath.

He gave a small smile and held out his hand. She started at it and tried to decide whether she should even take it.


	28. Shattered Dreams

Hey guys! So, I need to confess, I actually sort of maybe forgot about this story... ^^; Well I hit a writer's block. I know exactly how the story is going to go, but I started worrying about if it was flowing from each chapter and styaing consistent. I kept finding mistakes and was like, wow, is all of my story like this? I'm no really expierenced with writing. Too bad we don't all have editiors right? So, I kept trying to read the whole thing from start to finish, but kept getting discourgaged, and therefore kept putting it off. Then the weirdest summer of my life hit, and it totally escaped my mind! Thank you thelittlepurplepuffball for sending the recent review and reminding me about how horrible I have been un updating!

Honestly, I'm not sure if this chapter is super ready yet, but I don't want to kept you all waiting. I'm thinking about going back and editing the whole thing, though I know it's going to be a huge job. I am going to try to be more regular in my post, key word try. Thank you all for being so understanding! 3 3 3

Also, spoiler alert, (but I know I would want to know) no matter how much angst is in my stories, I ALWAYS have happy endings! :) I'm kind of a sucker for that.

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Izzy stared at his outstretched hand, feeling her heart drop into her toes. Suddenly it was as if she was back in the alleyway, alone, hiding from the world. And suddenly, the shine in his eyes reflected the faces of those ripped from her. Her aunt, her uncles, her past. _He was the same_.

"Izzy, is everything ok?" Fitz asked as his eyebrows knit together in concern.

Without another thought she took his hand, wishing she could pretend there was a reasonable excuse. Maybe there was one, but she wasn't going to wait and hope.

Fitz pulled her gently off the ground, a splash of concern still covering his face.

"Sorry, I'm just, really tried." She forced a smile. "It's been a _long_ day. I've learned a lot, and it's just making my brain a bit, foggy."

"Oh, well you haven't eaten in a while, right? Dinner's ready, maybe it will help. I know I don't always think straight without food..."

"Maybe." She smiled back, dropping his hand and keeping an icy distance between them.

Fitz gave a slight nod before turning his back to her and walking to the doorway. Izzy could feel the smile slip off her lips, a heart wrenching feeling overtaking her heart. She wanted to scream, to cry, to run away and start over somewhere else, to really make this all a bad dream, but that wasn't a choice anymore.

She was being hunted, and the only place she was truly safe was here, with him; and his family. If she could just hold on for a week or two, she could move into _her_ home, with _her_ parents. Then she wouldn't have to rely on him. The thoughts strengthened her resolve, not that she had any other choice. She had screamed and cried and run away, and it did nothing to help. She was still left with a whole in her heart. This time would be different.

Izzy made her way into the house, walking towards the crowded dining room table. Fitz motioned her over, a bright smile on his face.

"I made a plate for you already, I figured you wouldn't be sure which was what yet." He motioned to an empty chair next to him.

"OOOOooor, you could, I don't know, sit at the _cool_ end of the table." Keefe smirked, doing a dramatic two handed point to the seat next to him. "Biana's already crossed over, you two, can." He said like a tv announcer.

Izzy stood frozen at the edge of the room, looking between the two. She couldn't help but remember all of the times Keefe had warned her about Fitz. Her heart gave a painful tug and her eyes burned, but she pushed the feelings and thoughts away. She hoped it would lay dormant in some dark corner of her brain till she had time to deal with it, but there wasn't any guarantee. She sat down carefully next to Fitz, as if the seat had nails. She couldn't let him know that she was on to him. Fingering the sparkly teal gem on her Nexus, she felt even worse. If only she could rip it off and toss it at his stupid, handsome, smiling face…

"Hey, come on Fos-, umm, _Izzinator_! I really think it would be better…" He began to trail off. Something flashed over his face, like he knew exactly what she was thinking. Great, was _he_ a telepath too? She screamed a few lyrics in her head, something edgy and dark and full of swear words. When he gave no reaction, she was satisfied with that evidence and went back to pretending nothing was wrong.

"Next time I'll sit next to you, promise." She smiled, feeling like the walls were closing in on her side of the table. It was as if half the house began to melt in an ode to Slurps and Burps. "Thanks for the food Fitz." She half muttered as she pulled the plate closer and shoved a random tuber into her mouth. The sickeningly sweet taste of frosting coated her lips, making it hard to speak.

"Anytime" He smiled, directing a cold glare at Keefe.

Keefe shifted in his seat, a look of such rage and hatred filling his eyes that Izzy didn't believe it at first.

"So, how was everyone's day today?" Della sang from the middle of the table, her hands frantically moving as she scooped random food, fixed the napkins, adjusted the crystal serving bowls and wrinkles in the table cloth, really anything to keep herself busy. A large smile sat on her red lips like a mask.

Alden cleared his throat, causing Della to look back at him as she blinked in and out. "Maybe, we should start with a different question…"

Izzy and Biana exchanged a look as the glaring between them intensified.

The rest of the dinner had gone the same way. Izzy shoveled her food into her mouth. Fitz had, of course, picked out the perfect meal, but with everything going on, she couldn't even taste it. Excusing herself from the table, she left before she was given a reply, all but racing through the living room.

"Izzy!" a voice called from behind her. Her brain was a bit too fuzzy to even tell who it was, but she didn't really care at this point. She just wanted to leave. The feeling of her heart tearing apart her stomach was becoming more and more common. All she wanted was to be happy, all she wanted was to have friends and-

"Izzy!" The voice called again, a strong hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

Izzy looked up, a wave of relief hitting her when a few whips of blonde hair hit her forehead, ice blue eyes staring back at her before turning her around.

"Keefe." She half sighed in an almost annoyed manner, a small smile lighting her lips.

"We need to talk." Keefe whispered. "I'm an Empath, so I _feel_ things, especially from you. I-" He cut himself off taking a slight step back before running his hands over his vest. When he didn't finish, Izzy opened her mouth to speak, but a tall, glaring figure entered the room, causing her to slam it shut again.

"Keefe, I-" Fitz began, surprisingly more sadness to his voice than anger.

"This doesn't concern you!" Keefe snapped back. "So you can _leave_!"

"Izzy isn't your pawn, leave her out of this." Fitz growled, ripping Keefe's hand off of Izzy's shoulder.

"Funny, I should be saying the same thing." Keefe glared.

The two stood there for what felt like a lifetime, staring each other down, then Izzy realized their facial expressions were changing. Somehow, it was as if they were actually talking, but neither opened their mouths.

"Fine." Keefe finally snapped. "But I'll be back. This may be your house, but I have _every_ _right_ to be here." He turned sharply, his eyes softening once they hit Izzy. "I got this for you earlier, the instructions are on the back. Now you can contact me. Anytime, day or night, if you need me just call me." He set the cool, metal square into her hands, then turned and took a few steps towards the door.

"Thanks," Izzy choked out, her eyes watering at the gesture which slightly eased the knot in her stomach.

"No problem." He smiled back. Fitz took a step closer, his tall, intimidating stature hovering over Keefe. "Also, I put all of your bags in your room." He continued, unfazed. "It was pretty, uuh, _Vackerish_ , so I did a bit of redecorating. No need to thank me." He winked.

"You, _what_?" Izzy squeaked as her eyes grew. Even Fitz's eyes grew as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I'd better get going, got a bunch of Council work to do. They really work us Emissaries hard Foster! You should come join me sometime, we'd make a great team. I'd invite you too Vacker, but with your record…" Keefe shrugged. "See ya Izz."

Walking towards the door, he turned and gave a wave, his trademark smirk illuminating his face.

After the door closed, a strange, cold silence fell between the two. Izzy had no intentions of breaking it. Fitz turned, his mouths opening the slightest bit as his eyebrows knit together, but at that second Alvar dashed into the room, stopping to catch his breath as a gave a crooked smile to Izzy.

"Had to grab this from Dad's office. Super important." He held up the scroll in his hand before glancing around the room. "Did Keefe just leave? He promised to let me know beforehand."

Izzy nodded as Fitz grumbled something under his breath about his brother being too good to work with Keefe.

Alvar rolled his eyes, ignoring Fitz's comment. "Of course he did. We have a meeting tomorrow, to discuss your… reappearance. Gotta prepare in advance." Smiling, he tucked the scroll into his cloak pocket, gave a small wave to Izzy. As he made his way to the door, his cloak billowed around him, swishing back and forth between blue and purple. The way he walked, Izzy didn't doubt for a second he was a Councilor. After he too disappeared with a gust of chilly night air, the cloud of silence once again fell over the room, and this time no one seemed ready to jump in.

"So…" Fitz started. Izzy ran her fingers over the rugged rigids of her arms, not even sure where she should wish she was.

"I, umm, should go see Biana. I borrowed her boots, and, I need to go thank her."

Fitz gave a nod, but when Izzy hit the halfway point, Fitz turned.

"Izzy, wait-"

Running her hand over the scars a little faster, Izzy took a deep breath and turned, forcing herself to meet his eyes. When she did, she felt the telltale thump thump as her heart skipped a beat. But, there was something else, a sadness in his eyes that wasn't there before… After a second he looked away, staring down the hallway.

"Izzy, about Keefe and me, and our fighting, it has nothing to do with you, and I'm sorry you've been put in the middle of it. I greatly regret that, and I'll try to find a way to make sure it doesn't happen in the future."

Clearing his throat, he shifted slightly, peering out of the corner of his eye as if to judge her reaction.

"I… thanks. I would appreciate that."

He gave a short nod, but as Izzy turned again to leave, he stopped her.

"Isn't that what you're upset about?"

It was silent for a few seconds, before Izzy turned and gave her best smile. "Yeah. It is, I'm just also, really tired."

This time when she walked away she didn't give him time to call her back, or to stare at her with those eyes that tore at her heart. Instead she quickly found the stairs, and all but ran up them. She could feel the tears beginning to run down her face, carving hot, salty paths into her cheeks. It wasn't that he had just said anything wrong, besides the fact it was all a bold face lie, but she just couldn't contain the day's events inside any longer. That dark corner of her brain where she had stuffed all of her emotions and thoughts and experiences had overflowed like a tsunami. As much as she tried, she would never, ever be over losing her family, Fitz betraying her was just a rather large bonus. It just reminded her of how alone she really, truly was.

Since everyone was downstairs, she ran through the hallway, unwilling to let anyone hear the sobs escape from her chest. The only part of the deeply shadowed hall that held any light was the large, half circle of bright, white moonlight that beamed in from the similarly shaped window. Without thinking she collapsed in front of it, pressing her burning cheek up against the cool, crystal glass.

As she stared out through clouded eyes, she couldn't help but let the scenery take her breath away. The emerald green meadow shined like a sea of gems in the cloak of moonlight, and the trees that scattered towards the forest's edge seemed even more lifelike than before. Something about the view made her feel calmer, like she wasn't so impossibly alone. The thought was only further confirmed when a bright, golden tangle sent an almost too bright glimmer before disappearing under a midnight black hood. Keefe turned, smiling at Alvar as Alvar's lips moved in unheard words.

For some reason, seeing his smile sent a pang through her heart. It was probably just because she was so lonely, trapped in a strange house with strange people in a new world. Somehow, he seemed to understand her. Maybe she _could_ trust him, he did seem to have her best interests at heart, though so did Fitx. And, as with Fitz… she didn't know who he even was anymore.

Alvar lifted his hand up, drawing her gaze as a bright green beam of light lit up the grass, causing a strange glow to cast over their faces as Alvar's eyes swept across the field. He roughly grabbed Keefe's hand before pulling them both into the light, and disappearing in a flash. Frowning, Izzy stared at the empty spot, wishing she was traveling with them. Even though she had just met him, Keefe's absence made things so… quiet, though that wasn't always such a bad thing. It was just, she had relied so much on Fitz, _too much_ , and now, she didn't know what to do. Well, she knew what to do, but it was hard, probably the hardest thing she had ever done.

After a few minutes passed and voices could be heard from the living room, she forced herself up and stumbled to her room. She was too tired to look for the decorations Keefe had left, too tired to organize the clothing and trinkets they had gotten. Instead she threw herself on the bed with such force she bounced twice, then smothered herself with blankets. As the tears rolled out, she cried harder than she ever had, soaking her pillow case all the way through.

For the first time in her life, she had no one. Even in the alleyway at least she could pretend it was all just a nightmare, but now, it was real, _very_ real. Somehow, before seeing Atlanis, and before she had to realize Fitz was normal, flawed person, with his own motives, and definitely _not_ a cute boy form of a fairy godmother, she could pretend it was all a dream. Even as much as she thought she had come to terms with everything, some part of her was still denying it. And, in one foul swoop Fitz and Keefe managed to find a way to completely shred that apart. As the world sank down on her, the giant, aching black hole that sat in her heart proved everything, and the only thing that kept her thinking she was real, and not one of the tragic hero's from her stories, were the scars that ran across her arms.

Her sobs muffled under her blankets, she cried until the moon began to slowly sink towards the horizon, and then exhaustion took hold, and she fell fast asleep.


End file.
